SAN DIEGO — Donovan State Prison is the next stop on the map for the Compassion Prison Project, a nonprofit geared toward promoting trauma-informed communities inside prisons.
CBS 8 spoke with the founder about the healing that's inspiring real change in and outside of prison. The Compassion Prison Project has worked with thousands of men and women and has hosted the Trauma to Transformation workshop at 17 California prisons.
Fritzi Hortsman, the Founder and Executive Director of the group, says childhood trauma can correlate with bad behavior. Hortsman starts the workshops by asking a large circle of inmates, if from a child to 18 years old a parent would swear at them, yell at them, or humiliate them.
If it was a yes, please step further inside the circle.
The majority took a step forward.
She then asked if a parent or other adult would slap them, or hit them so hard it would leave a mark — if so, step further inside the circle.
The circle only continued to get smaller.
Hortsman doesn't excuse the terrible things the incarcerated people have done, but acknowledges most had bad things happen to them beforehand.
"That cycle of violence and abuse is what started this whole thing," she said.
Hortman hopes the Compassion Prison Project can work in 30 prisons by the end of year. She said their data shows all of the participants experience some form of transformation by the end of the workshop.
"By the end of the session, they reported feeling trust among fellow incarcerated individuals, they want to take accountability for their crimes and demonstrate forgiveness. These are some of the first steps, toward healing and transformation," Hortsman said.
The workshop focuses on teaching courage — something as simple as smiling, making amends and forgiveness. The goal is to promote personal change and finding non-violent solutions to problems.
Hortsman says there's roughly 95,000 inmates throughout California's prison system — roughly 4,000 inside Donovan — and a large percentage of them will reenter society. Helping them learn their triggers and how to calm their nervous systems helps ease their transition when they return home.
"Let's get them all trauma informed and changing the world. We want these men and women to be leaders, great parents, partners and community members," Hortsman said.
The Compassion Prison Project is dedicated to ending the cycle of child abuse, by bringing compassion and awareness to the trauma they may have endured.
"I didn't know that criticism and yelling are like having a tiger in the room. Violence in the household changes the brain," Hortsman said.
The Compassion Prison Project also works with foster kids and other community organizations. You can get involved, volunteer, donate or start your own healing by taking a quiz on their website.
"They say when you heal something for yourself, you heal it for the world."
WATCH RELATED: State, local leaders attend graduation ceremony for inmates at Donovan State Prison