STEP INSIDE THE CIRCLE Documentary Addresses Adverse Childhood Experiences

On February 12, 2020, 235 incarcerated men gathered in the yard of a maximum-security prison in California. They formed a circle, and in the center of that circle stood Grammy Award winning film producer Fritzi Horstman. She read aloud ten questions from the ACE test, a survey of Adverse Childhood Experiences.

So begins the documentary "Step Inside the Circle," the PSA film which is at the heart of the grassroots organization Compassion Prison Project. With a production team that included Academy Award nominated cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, "Step Inside the Circle" has, in just a few short months since its release, reached over 2 million views.

By addressing subject matter that is often cloaked in shame, "Step Inside the Circle" bears witness to the damage done by childhood trauma, then ultimately guides us to embrace the ability of the mind, body and spirit to heal.

CDC research shows more than 60 percent of American adults have experienced at least one ACE as children, and almost a quarter of adults have experienced 3 or more ACEs. ACEs are a contributing factor in a range of health-related issues including increased risk for cancer and heart attack, ability to regulate emotions and even the altering of transgenerational DNA.

Compassion Prison Project's mission is to transform prisons and their communities through compassionate action, focusing on ACE awareness, facilitation of trauma healing programs, giving back projects and returning citizens support. Based on her own experiences with childhood trauma, Founder and Executive Director Fritzi Horstman and a core organizing team designed

Compassion Prison Project's approach to include partnerships with volunteers, governments, community-based organizations and prison administrations.

"Compassion Prison Project believes that the power to heal future generations is in changing the way we treat the most traumatized members of our society today," said Fritzi Horstman - Founder Compassion Prison Project.

"Trauma Is A Fact of Life. It does not, however, have to be a life sentence," said Peter A Levine.

Learn more at: https://compassionprisonproject.org/

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