Investing in Healing: How Trauma-informed and healing centered correction systems benefit everyone
As a Native woman (Este Mvskokvlke Paksvnke, Mucv-Nettv, Pakse), formerly incarcerated, and an officer of the court, I have had the opportunity to interact with different mindsets in my lifetime. I was told from a young age, "we are all connected", but it was not until I learned about polyvagal theory, neuroception theory, and the co-regulation of nervous systems between humans that I fully grasped the meaning. These theories demonstrate that we cannot hurt another person without ultimately hurting ourselves.
My first encounter with trauma-informed practices occurred at the Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Seattle, Washington. I was there seeking medical attention after suffering through an illness related to my lifelong untreated trauma while advocating for the “Clean Slate Act” facing Washington State Legislators being vulnerable and telling my painful experiences as a woman with a criminal record. The medical staff treated me with so much compassion, care, and understanding. I couldn’t understand why. I started asking around and found out Kaiser spearheaded the famous adverse childhood experiences study. Having experienced almost every Adverse Childhood Experience (ACES), my life made much more sense. Knowing that my experiences in childhood made me 7X more likely than a person without ACES to be incarcerated relieved a lot of the shame I endured being rejected for employment and housing due to my criminal record. I’m not absolving myself due to the adverse childhood experiences I faced, but I feel like I paid my price through my incarceration and subsequent marginalization. Unless the laws change, I and many other impacted people will live with a criminal record for the rest of our lives.
The study of trauma-informed practices has led me to understand that investing in a trauma-informed correctional system transformation is an investment in all. Dr. Steven Porges' polyvagal theory and neurception theory scientifically demonstrate that we are all connected and that our nervous systems system responses are inextricably linked. The focus on punishment and punitive measures not only harms the individuals society is trying to punish but also affects everyone within the system through nervous system co-regulation that is scientifically unavoidable without nervous system regulation techniques and other wholistic approaches that most people aren’t taught.
The United States incarceration system was initially founded on the principles of punishment, deterrence, and retribution. Creating a system designed to harm cannot result in a peaceful society. Everyone in that environment is harmed. The environment is toxically stressful by design. Correctional officers suffer from physical and mental health problems, including increased rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and suicide compared to other professions. Implementing trauma-informed practices, protocols, and healing and restorative measures can help regulate the nervous systems of everyone within the system.
Typically, the trauma-informed system transformation process starts with securing the wellness of the people providing the services (see case study on Clackamas behavioral health center). This includes education and training on trauma and stress management, as well as offering access to mental health professionals and employee wellness programs. This can also include mindfulness training, yoga, and breathwork. By recognizing the impact of trauma on the immune system, and the long-term health outcomes due to a wide array of trauma-related illnesses. There are many good reasons to transform the prison system into a system of recovery and rehabilitation.
More broadly, nervous system dysregulation doesn’t stay contained within the prison. The officers leave and go home, where they may potentially share the dis-ease with their families, increasing the risk of trauma-related illnesses and other trauma-related diseases for their spouses and children. Further, when incarcerated men, women, and children are released, they are often more emotionally dysregulated than when they went into prison. It’s also been proven that the traumatic effects will be carried on for generations through the study of epigenetics. This epidemic has broad implications that we are only beginning to understand. And it can stop if we take a public health approach to crime and punishment in this country.
The public health approach to crime and punishment in the US emphasizes prevention and rehabilitation rather than punishment. This approach views crime as a public health problem and seeks to address the underlying causes of criminal behavior. The focus is on identifying risk factors and implementing interventions to address them, such as providing access to education, job training, mental health and substance abuse treatment, and supportive housing.The public health approach recognizes that crime is often a symptom of deeper social and economic issues, such as poverty, inequality, and trauma. By addressing these underlying issues, the public health approach aims to reduce the likelihood of crime in the first place.
The public health approach emphasizes restorative justice, which focuses on repairing the harm caused and addressing the needs of the parties involved. This can include community service, mediation, and other forms of restorative justice that aim to rebuild relationships and promote healing.
Examples of trauma-informed practices
Some examples of trauma-reducing measures include mindfulness-based interventions that have resulted in significant reductions in stress and symptoms of depression and anxiety among correctional officers in the United States. In Canada, it has also been shown that peer support groups help correctional officers feel better about their jobs and feel less stressed.
In another study done in prison, a trauma-informed intervention increased the number of people who took part in educational and vocational programs and decreased the number of disciplinary infractions. The intervention included education on the impact of trauma on behavior and emotions, as well as individual and group therapy sessions.
Promoting policies of healing and wellness
By promoting rehabilitation and reducing the likelihood of recidivism, trauma-informed practices can improve the overall safety and well-being of the correctional setting. This can lead to improved outcomes for both correctional officers and people experiencing incarceration, as well as for society as a whole.
The teachings of seven generations can inform us about the necessity to make this transition. Seven Generations is a principle that emphasizes the interconnectedness of all life and the need for long-term planning and consideration for future generations. The principle holds that every decision made in the present should take into account the impact on the next seven generations and that we have a responsibility to ensure the well-being of future generations. The Seven Generations teaches us how to live sustainably and focus on the long-term impact of our actions on the world around us.
Intentionally harming people is not a sustainable practice. I’ve cited all my sources, but I don’t need proof because I’ve lived it.