Eldra Jakson III, Co Executive Director at The Inside Circle



Eldra Jackson III



Eldra served 24 years of a life sentence; the last eight were spent sitting with Inside Circle eventually leading to his release from New Folsom Prison in 2014. A living example of successful rehabilitation and re-entry, Eldra has dedicated his free time on the outside to serving at-risk youth, and acting as a facilitator, trainer, and mentor.  He is a writer and sought after public speaker on the topics of at-risk youth advocacy, effective criminal justice rehabilitation and turning around ‘toxic’ masculinity. He also hosts the Inside Circle Podcast.



The Inside Circle



The Inside Circle exists to reduce recidivism and all forms of violence-physical, emotional, and psychological— in our prisons and communities. Using the power of human connection found in peer-guided healing circles, Inside Circle transforms lives, reducing violence inside and outside adult and juvenile prisons, lowering recidivism rates, and building social-emotional literacy.



They Operate regularly within and around California State Prison, Sacramento (New Folsom), Sierra Conservation Center, and New Jersey's Juvenile Medium Security Facility. They have ignited and run programs in an array of adult and juvenile detention centers and community settings across the United States.



After sitting in group with Inside Circle for an average of 3 years, members show shifts in resilience, empathy, self-regulation, and perspective taking. For participants, There’s an 80% decline in the number of “115” rule violations. 70% of participants dropped 1-3 security levels. 44% of the men who were serving and went through the program are no longer in prison but instead serving their communities and contributing to society, and 0% of released participants returned to prison within three years of release. For more on The Inside Circle watch The Work documentary available on Amazon.



Discussed In This Episode:



Eldra's background and his storyWhat went through Eldra's mind when he was sentenced and his first years in prisonToxic masculinity, Eldra's definition of it, and how it impacted his lifeWhat we need to know about prison lifeRacial segregation in CA prisons and why this remains in practiceThe Circle -- how Eldra found it and how it healsWhat led to Eldra's freedom and eventual releaseThe adjustment to being out of prison and the biggest challengesThe pain of healingHow to reduce incarcerationCall to action



Important Links:



Waiting For An Echo by Christine MontrossThe Work documentary Eldra Jackson and The Circle on Instagram



Other Episodes Like This:



Healing From An Act Of ViolenceParenting a Child With Autism



Happy Listening!



With Fun and Love,



Jackie