The Garrison Institute was founded in 2002 to apply the transformative wisdom of the world’s contemplative traditions to systemic challenges facing the human and natural environment. It offers a year-round calendar of residential initiatives and retreats that bring together spiritual leaders and practitioners, activists and social service providers, policy makers, scientists and scholars to explore the intersection of contemplative and spiritual experience with engaged action in the world.

Over a three year period, The Emancipation Project will help 300 incarcerated women to transform their own lives, avoid self-destructive behaviors and make positive life choices. Thirty committed faith-based prison volunteers will be trained as instructors to present prison workshops combining modern psychological approaches and personal transformation practices (such as meditation, contemplative prayer, and mindfulness training). Instructors will receive skills training in transformation practices, crisis intervention, handling trauma, and networking with community resources to ease re-entry into the community. Instructors will learn to develop strategies of self-care; mutual support and collaboration to cope with the stress of helping women heal from traumatic life histories and demeaning prison conditions.