Eldra Jackson III spent a large part of his life as a convict in the US prison system. Inside prison, he encountered a circle of men who led him to overcome his darkness and find healing. He is now the Co-Executive Director of that organization, called Inside Circle. This work was covered in the documentary called The Work.

Join me in learning about Eldra’s life story - how he went from serving 24 years of a life prison sentence in California to becoming a successful businessman whose mission is to help heal and mentor other men for whom all hope is lost.

In this episode we discuss: 

• The prison industrial complex in the United States.
• Eldra’s life journey and what led him to serving a life sentence.
• Why Eldra made many decisions from a place of trauma.
• How childhood trauma can affect your nervous system and behavior later in life. 
• What is a “good convict”?
• The common mindset among incarcerated people.
• The difference between prison and rehab 
• What retirement looks like for a prisoner.
• How Eldra turned his life around and transformed his mindset.
• The importance of looking inward to heal.
• How Eldra got introduced to Inside Circle while in prison.
• Therapy circles in prison.
• Changing the way we view and treat hurt people.
• Why systems only exist because we allow them to.
• How to create change in the prison system.
• Why countries need to learn from each other once they’ve developed solutions to societal problems.
• What’s next for Inside Circle? 
• How trauma survivors can redirect their energy to good things in the world.
• Inside Circle’s mission.

Eldra’s Links: 

Eldra’s TedTalk - How I Unlearned Dangerous Lessons About Masculinity
The Work Documentary: https://www.topic.com/the-work

(note: you will have to pay for this documentary, but it is VERY worth it)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InsideCircleOrg/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inside__circle

Twitter: https://twitter.com/inside_circle

How to get involved: Inside Circle’s Website - https://insidecircle.org/