From Trauma to Transformation with Compassion Prison Project

A history of childhood trauma is common among individuals who become involved in the criminal justice system. Recently, residents at CoreCivic's La Palma Correctional Center, Red Rock Correctional Center, and Saguaro Correctional Center in Eloy, Arizona, participated in day-long, Trauma to Transformation workshops to better understand their past trauma and the role it has played in their choices and behavior.

Spearheaded by the Compassion Prison Project, a 501(c)(3), California-based nonprofit, the workshops focused on self-empowerment and helping those in CoreCivic's care identify past trauma with the goal of helping them start their healing journey.

"The past is the past and the present is the present," said Flex, a participant in the Trauma to Transformation workshop at CoreCivic's La Palma facility. "I shouldn't let the past define who I am today because that's not who I am today."

As part of the workshop, residents participate in an Adverse Childhood Experiences quiz to help them categorize their trauma through a therapeutic framework and recognize links that may be connected to their criminal behavioral.

According to the Compassion Prison Project, it is estimated that 98 percent of the prison population has suffered at least one adverse childhood experience, such as abuse, neglect, substance abuse, or domestic violence.

WATCH below to see how these residents experienced the Trauma to Transformation workshops with the Compassion Prison Project.