Trauma is Everywhere

Even within our short-sighted, narrowly defined justice system, the focus of the system should be on healing for survivors. But survivors don't get that kind of attention or support. More than 90 percent of crime survivors don’t receive any victim assistance. They are essentially forgotten as our nation pours money into over-policing and incarceration.

Hurt people hurt people. This is a common adage in the violence prevention world—and a truth. Those who commit crimes have much higher rates of unaddressed trauma. Imagine if we could redirect billions spent on failed approaches to justice and heal trauma at the source.

Few experiences can traumatize so deeply and for such a sustained period as time spent in a violent, isolating, degrading prison. Crime and violence are a given. When people are released from prison, they enter a world that today largely rejects them, phase two of their punishment.

Theirs is a special trauma, especially for children. Family members are cut off from the people they love. Relationships are weakened or destroyed, endangering future healing. Shame, stigma, and social isolation can persist for many years.

Police officers, correction officers, judges, and jurors may experience secondary or vicarious trauma through their experience. Some witness the worst acts of humanity every day, but they can’t react normally and suppress. For police and corrections officers, this can lead them to cause harm and renew the cycle.