It started as a volunteer program, Empathy in Action, that takes willing civilians inside the Correctional Training Facility, a “level two” prison in Soledad, to engage in raw and honest conversations and educational activities with inmates—those determined to work on themselves by participating in this longterm, weekly exercise.
A couple of years in, the initiative’s leader, Megan McDrew, was able to not only produce, with the help of Humans Being Media, Going Inside: Empathy in Action, about the experience, but also create a physical location for the initiative: Transformative Justice Center in downtown Monterey. Her goal is to make people realize that people in prison are just like us, usually victims of their past and circumstances, and that they deserve better than being ignored.
If you happen to walk Tyler Street in Monterey, there is a great chance you’ll notice a green sign on a building, with the name of the center. That’s where McDrew meets with future volunteers who will join her for meetings with inmates in prison, people who have close ones in prison and anybody who is curious what the nonprofit is all about.
There’s an inspirational mural on the welcoming wall inside by local artist Hanif Panni, showing a bridge, metaphorically joining the inside of the prison with the society outside. The space surprises with the abundance of chairs, inmate-made art and brochures on resources available to those who just left the prison and those who want to understand what prison really does to people—retraumatizing them instead of creating change. There’s even an actual cell inside the center, taken straight from the CTF in Soledad to help visitors imagine the experience of being locked up. Soon, the center will offer programs to help people who just left the prison to connect with employees.
“The grant we had for the last few years expires and we need more funds,” McDrew says, after giving a tour of the center. “But I know we will be fine,” she adds quickly, marvelling over unexpected checks from private donors, touched by the center’s mission and the help she received from former inmates, many of whom participated in the Empathy in Action program in prison.
When watching Going Inside: Empathy in Action, it’s hard not to believe the participating inmates’ determination to change their lives. It shows in their faces in a way that cannot be faked, with face muscles trembling from tears hidden deep inside, such as in the case of William, one of the Brothers in Blue—as the program refers to the inmates—who recites a poem, written for 15-year-old boy he killed when he himself was a very young man. It’s unbelievable, he says, how a verbal altercation can lead to a murder.
“There’s no reason for it,” he continues. “You died in my hands. I’m the reason for all this pain,” referring to the countless lives affected by his action.
The film consists of the inmates' stories, many of them tragic childhood stories, many stories of finding themselves in prison and getting ready to leave with new purpose, such as Keith, now a certified alcohol and drugs counselor.
“When we were young, we numbed our pain with alcohol, drugs or violence because no one taught us how to reach out,” he says, adding he plans to stick to counseling upon his release. He says he finally knows what his life will be like after he gets home.
In the Transformative Justice Center, McDrew has meetings all day long. She mostly talks to the members of the public who volunteer their time every week for eight weeks to participate in the Empathy in Action program. On the other side, in Soledad, there’s a waiting list for those inmates who want to participate. But perhaps, before we get brave enough to venture inside—deep inside the hearts and minds of prisoners—watching this documentary is where the journey should begin.
Going Inside: Empathy in Action will be screened 12pm on Saturday, Sept. 27 at Lighthouse Cinema and Event Center, 525 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove. Suggested donation $5-$10. Watch the trailer on vimeo.com. Transformative Justice Center is located at 439 Tyler St., Monterey. transformativejusticecenter.org.
This article was modified on Sept. 26. In the previous version, the title of the film was incorrect.