Empathy Behind Bars with Megan McDrew

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Walking into a prison for the first time changes your body before it changes your mind. Gates, rules, metal detectors, and then something you don’t expect: a room full of people trying to practice honesty, calm, and respect. I’m joined by Megan McDrew, founder of Empathy in Action at the Transformative Justice Center, to explain how her volunteer-based prison program brings civilians together with incarcerated men and women to build the one tool trauma most desperately needs: a meaningful relationship.

We talk about trauma-informed rehabilitation through the lens of ACE scores, fight-or-flight stress, addiction, and the growing recognition of post-traumatic prison syndrome. Megan shares why “choice” can get sticky when your nervous system has been shaped by early harm, and why prisons can be both traumatized and traumatizing environments. Then she walks me through what a real night inside the program looks like: breathwork for nervous system regulation, intention setting around virtues like forgiveness and accountability, circle “families” using a talking piece for deep listening, and a closing ritual that helps people leave the room lighter than they entered.

We also get practical about outcomes and scale. Megan breaks down retention, why volunteers keep coming back, how incarcerated facilitators are selected, and what reentry support looks like when the community stays present after release. You’ll hear about the Going Inside documentary and the Time Together YouTube series, plus her vision to expand this restorative justice model to more prisons across the U.S. and even abroad.

If you care about criminal justice reform, empathy training, prison rehabilitation, and reducing recidivism through real human connection, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review. What would it take for your community to show up this close?

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