In this reloaded episode, I share a powerful conversation with Fritzi Horstman, founder of the Compassion Prison Project. Fritzi discusses the vital importance of creating trauma-informed prisons and communities. She explains how understanding trauma can shift our perception of incarcerated individuals, seeing them not as inherently bad people, but as individuals who have often endured immense suffering.

Fritzi highlights the interconnectedness of humanity and the impact of our actions on others, emphasising the need for compassion and systemic change to address the root causes of harmful behaviour, ultimately aiming to end child abuse and foster healing within society.

Key Takeaways:

• Creating trauma-informed prisons and communities means understanding that individuals, particularly those who are incarcerated or living in poverty, are often dealing with significant past trauma and adversity.

• Shifting our perspective to see incarcerated individuals as people who have suffered, rather than simply "bad people," is crucial for fostering compassion and facilitating healing.

• We are all interconnected, and our actions and societal structures have a profound impact on individuals' well-being and behaviour. Addressing trauma can lead to a ripple effect of positive change.

• The goal of the Compassion Prison Project is to end child abuse by raising awareness of how trauma affects brain development and behaviour, encouraging more compassionate and informed interactions.

• Recognising and addressing our own trauma and reactive patterns is essential for personal healing and for contributing to a more compassionate world.

Episode Highlights:

• 01:00 - Fritzi explains the mission of the Compassion Prison Project: to create trauma-informed prisons and communities.

• 02:00 - The belief in our interconnectedness and how that understanding shifts perception when interacting with others, including incarcerated individuals.

• 03:45 - Fritzi shares her personal realisation of how her own past trauma and reactive behaviour impacted her child, highlighting the importance of understanding the effects of our actions.

• 04:26 - The significance of Bessel van der Kolk's book, "The Body Keeps the Score," in understanding trauma, and the realisation that many in prison are deeply traumatised.

• 07:08 - Fritzi discusses Tony Crowe's work with Trauma Talks in Belfast, emphasising that societal division often reflects our own internal divides.

About the Guest:

Fritzi Horstman is the Founder and Executive Director of Compassion Prison Project. She is a Grammy-award winning producer for her work on “The Defiant Ones”, has been a producer and post-producer on dozens of television projects and documentaries and has directed several films. She believes it is urgent to bring humanity and compassion to those living behind bars and these acts will help transform our society. She has a Bachelor's Degree from Vassar College.

Episode links:

• Compassion Prison Project

• The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

• Tony Crowe episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/39X8en1iTZffmwraDuTizs

End credits:

Connect with Megan:

Instagram: @‌HigherLove_withMegan

Website: http://www.higher-love.com

This episode was written and recorded by me and produced by Lucy Lucraft (http://lucylucraft.co.uk )

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