I Use Pottery To Help Prison Inmates Rebuild Family Bonds | Extraordinary People

Key Concepts

• Awful Grace: A local charity dedicated to supporting disenfranchised and marginalized individuals, particularly those in the prison system.
• The Journey Program: A 14-session program conducted in prison, combining trauma-informed sessions with pottery making.
• Family Matters: An elective within the Awful Grace program focusing on reconciliation and forgiveness within families.
• Empower Therapy: A peer support program founded on restorative practices, fostering sharing of life experiences and aspirations.
• Kintsugi: A Japanese art form of repairing broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum, symbolizing the beauty of imperfection and the journey of recovery.
• Hollowing (Pottery Technique): A technique where clay is dug out to create a hollow space, representing the shedding of baggage and the capacity to embrace new possibilities.
• Restorative Practices: A framework that emphasizes repairing harm and building relationships, central to Empower Therapy.
• Peer Support: Individuals with lived experience providing support and guidance to others facing similar challenges.
• Pay It Forward: The act of reciprocating kindness and support received by helping others.

Awful Grace: A Movement for Transformation

Awful Grace, founded by Christine, is a local charity operating for nearly a decade, dedicated to supporting individuals within the prison system. Christine's journey into this work began during her counseling practicum, driven by an interest in addiction. She was placed in halfway houses and prisons, leading to a profound realization: incarceration can be a catalyst for mindset and behavioral change. The charity views its work as a movement, aiming to connect with incarcerated individuals, foster a sense of safety, and integrate them into a supportive community. The name "Awful Grace" itself is derived from "awful" and "grace," signifying the transformation of difficult experiences into something "full of awe."

The Journey Program: Pottery as a Pathway to Self-Discovery

The core of Awful Grace's in-prison program is "The Journey," a 14-session initiative that integrates trauma-informed sessions with pottery making. Christine emphasizes that this is not merely an art class but a program designed for self-discovery. Each pottery technique is intentionally linked to a life skill and a character trait.

• Hollowing Technique: This technique involves using a tool to dig out the clay, symbolizing the process of shedding personal baggage. A solid block of clay cannot hold anything, but a hollowed block becomes a container for new hopes and aspirations for life beyond prison. This process mirrors the internal work of releasing past burdens to make space for future growth.

The genesis of the program stems from Christine's personal experience. During a difficult period in 2015-2016 marked by disillusionment and frustration, she learned pottery. This experience led to significant self-reflection and the realization that these techniques could benefit others within the prison environment.

Family Matters: Rebuilding and Reconciling Relationships

The "Family Matters" elective is a crucial component of the program, focusing on forgiveness and the importance of family relationships. Participants engage in activities like writing letters to their younger selves, prompting reflection on their past actions and future aspirations.

• Example: One participant created two pottery pieces: one to forgive someone and another to seek forgiveness. Both pieces were intended for his mother and father, reflecting a desire to understand their constant presence and support.
• Observation: A recurring observation by Awful Grace is that individuals often do not deeply consider their behavior, actions, or words. The program encourages this introspection.
• Check-in Question: Participants are asked, "If you could tell your future self one thing, what would you say?" Responses often include messages of strength, positivity, moving forward, ignoring negativity, and not giving up on goals despite setbacks.

Superintendent Daryl, with 18 years of experience in corrections, highlights the importance of community partners like Awful Grace in providing the "spark of change" that inmates may not find on their own. He believes these partnerships help mend relationships, offering hope to individuals as they prepare for release.

Empower Therapy: Peer Support and Shared Experiences

Empower Therapy is a peer support program built on restorative practices and collaboration between prison leadership, counselors, officers, and incarcerated individuals. It facilitates the sharing of life experiences, hopes, and aspirations, thereby fostering hope in others.

• Andrew Joseph's Story: Andrew, who served 4 years and 8 months in prison, experienced a relapse into depression post-release. Baking helped him recover, and he is now a peer supporter with "The Journey Continues," an Awful Grace community program for individuals after their release. He describes his incarceration as having two distinct halves: the first being a "complete waste of time" and the second, where he co-developed Empower Therapy, giving him "meaning and purpose."
• Peer Support in Action: A participant shares an instance where she texted a peer for advice on a relationship issue. After the conversation, she felt "lightened" and clear about her next steps, demonstrating the power of peer connection.

Awful Grace's mission is to support the disenfranchised and marginalized, with hope being the crucial element that separates an incarcerated person from their circumstances. The partnership with Empower Therapy is described as a natural and easy collaboration from the outset.

Family Circles and Kintsugi: Mending and Moving Forward

The program culminates in "family circles" and the art of Kintsugi, aiming to facilitate reconciliation and embrace healing.

• Family Circles: These sessions prepare participants for meetings with their family members, focusing on open hearts and minds. They address expectations, painful moments in family relationships, and the development of a plan for moving forward. For example, a participant might commit to writing an e-letter to a sister they haven't communicated with. The role of Awful Grace is to enable communication and conversation between family members.
• Kintsugi: This Japanese art form, introduced in "The Journey," involves mending broken pottery with gold or silver. The process begins with participants breaking their own pottery pieces, a painful but necessary step symbolizing their responsibility for their own brokenness. The subsequent mending with gold and silver represents their journey of recovery and wholeness, making them more beautiful through their experiences. This art form visually embodies the concept that brokenness can lead to greater beauty and resilience.

The Impact and Future of Awful Grace

The impact of Awful Grace extends beyond the prison walls, with former participants becoming volunteers who "pay it forward" by helping others experience the same transformative journey.

• Azah's Story: Azah, who joined the program in 2020, expressed a desire to become a volunteer upon release, wanting others to benefit as he did.
• Volunteer Motivation: The primary motivation for former participants becoming volunteers is to reciprocate the support they received and to help others who are still incarcerated.
• Christine's Vision: Christine articulates a powerful aspiration: the ultimate success of Awful Grace would be its own obsolescence, meaning there would no longer be a need for charities working with prisoners. While acknowledging this is a long-term goal, she is encouraged by the increasing social awareness and engagement of younger generations in social justice issues, indicating a positive societal direction.

The charity's work is described as non-profitable and challenging, yet it provides a vital space for individuals to open up about their feelings and emotions, fostering a sense of belonging and enabling them to build new friendships and become "more than enough." The volunteers are seen as inspiring many participants, and there is a strong desire among some to return the "gift" they have received.