In 2022, thanks to funding by the Herbert Simon Family Foundation, CMBM kicked off Hope and Healing for Indiana Prisons, marking our first project behind prison walls. Working with the Indiana Department of Corrections, the project is geared at teaching mind-body skills to incarcerated people and prison staff, and is taking place over two years.
Our first workshops, attended by over 54 incarcerated women, were held in person on September 8, 2022 at the Indiana Women’s Prison. Our Founder and CEO, James S. Gordon, MD, and CMBM Faculty Member Sabrina N’Diaye, PhD, LCSW-C led the workshops, supported by Madeline Welch, former Program Manager, and Raquel McCarthy, Project Manager. CMBM and the Simon Foundation hope that the program will become a model for prisons in Indiana and across the US.
Participants shared stories of trauma, their desire for healing, and the connections that they find with one another. Their contributions demonstrated both the necessity of this program and the infinite potential for healing and growth in this community. 20 of those who attended will be selected to participate in our in-person Professional Training Program in Mind-Body Medicine and Advanced Training Program in Mind-Body Medicine in the fall of 2022. They will receive supervision and ongoing support as they facilitate groups for their peers in the winter.
In 2023, our team will provide the same training and support to bring mind-body skills to the incarcerated men and prison staff at Plainfield Correctional Facility.
