Our new group has a name. Tribe 586. This is the first GRIP class being held at the Deuel Vocational Institution, a level 2 prison in Tracy, California, and I am the lead facilitator. GRIP (Guiding Rage Into Power) is a 52 week long, mindfulness-based emotional intelligence program, and is a journey towards […]
Tag: GRIP
Transcending Gender in Prison
Powerful moment yesterday. Drove 2 hours past Sacramento to do a 7 hour GRIP intensive in Mule Creek State Prison. It was the first time we welcomed a transgendered woman (prisoner) to our GRIP class. An African American woman with spunky beads in her hair, she sat up straight, gave a big smile when […]
A Conversation of Race in Prison
A powerful day this week in San Quentin discussing race and power. When I told the guys in our training group (about a dozen prisoners who are training to be GRIP facilitators) that I wanted to talk about race, gender, privilege, and power, I immediately noticed guys looking down, shifting their feet, some making indiscernible […]
Jesse Estrin 