WORKSHOPS
New Start Workshop:
The Descent and the Return
A Structured Path to Rehabilitation, Responsibility, and Reintegration
Duration: Two-Day Intensive
The New Start Workshop is a powerful two-day rehabilitation experience designed for justice-involved individuals who are ready to confront their past, take ownership of their actions, and build a future rooted in character and accountability.
Unlike traditional group therapy, this is a highly structured, introspective intervention that equips participants with a personal code of conduct, improves institutional behavior, and lays the foundation for successful reentry. Drawing on timeless mythology and moral clarity, the workshop aligns directly with correctional goals of rehabilitation, transformation, and long-term public safety.
Day 1
The Descent — Confronting the Past
The first day of the New Start Workshop focuses on recognizing the impact of trauma, confronting patterns of self-betrayal, and exploring the emotional “underworld” that many participants remain trapped in.
At its heart, this workshop supports participants in reclaiming what trauma and incarceration often shatter: their identity, their narrative, and their sense of purpose. Drawing on Dante’s Inferno as a symbolic map of inner struggle and the Hero’s Journey as a timeless model for change, participants embark on a mythic descent—mirroring the emotional and psychological toll of their own life experiences.
They begin by acknowledging that they were born the hero of their story, but somewhere along the way, they forgot who they were. They now stand at the threshold of their journey—choosing to descend with courage, rather than remain stuck in patterns of blame or avoidance.
As participants travel through each metaphorical circle of Dante’s Inferno, they examine how destructive behaviors, trauma responses, and distorted beliefs have shaped their actions and decisions. This is not a therapeutic processing session—it is a truth-centered reckoning rooted in personal responsibility, moral clarity, and self-awareness.
Day 2
The Ascent — Reclaiming the Future
On the second day, the journey shifts from descent to reclamation and rise. Having confronted their inner darkness, participants now begin the upward climb—building a foundation for lasting change through the RAIDD Code:
Responsibility. Accountability. Integrity. Discipline. Dedication.
These five core values are reinforced through writing, discussion, and reflection to instill a lasting internal compass—one that supports both improved behavior inside the facility and long-term success in society.
Participants reflect on the harm they’ve caused, the beliefs that guided those actions, and the opportunity they now have to choose differently. They explore how to rebuild trust, carry themselves with integrity, and move forward with intention—regardless of the length of their sentence.
By confronting their own descent into destructive patterns and unresolved pain, participants gain the clarity and resolve to change. They leave this experience with a renewed sense of self, a practical code to live by, and a deeper understanding of the kind of citizen they want to become.
Impact
This workshop doesn’t just help residents heal. It helps them transform—so they return not only as free individuals, but as responsible men and women prepared to lead, serve, and contribute.
The New Start Workshop aligns with correctional goals of rehabilitation, recidivism reduction, and successful reintegration. It cultivates internal transformation by helping participants reconnect with purpose, take ownership of their behavior, and adopt a values-based code that guides future conduct.
Participants don’t just leave this workshop with insights—they leave with direction.
This is a scalable, trauma-informed, and character-centered program that contributes meaningfully to institutional climate and long-term public safety. From this base, we build all of our other programs:
A deeper dive into trauma understanding and healing, resilience, vocational and life skills, leadership development, and community service. Along with these, we offer a trauma-based substance abuse curriculum, offender responsibility classes, service dog training, computer skills, marketing and branding classes and more.