Save Empathy in Action: Transform Lives Through Compassion

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Save Empathy in Action: Transform Lives Through Compassion

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Help Save Empathy in Action & The Transformative Justice Center:

Transforming prisons through human connection and compassion

Who Am I:

My name is Megan McDrew, founder of the Transformative Justice Center (TJC) and creator of Empathy in Action prison program. I’m a single mom of two beautiful children, a triathlete, yogi, sociology professor, and a fierce believer in the power of love and forgiveness. I also need your help. Please read on!

For twelve years, I’ve been going inside California state prisons—first as a San Quentin volunteer, then as a sociology professor inside Salinas Valley State Prison and CTF Soledad. For the last 5 years, I’ve been spending time with those serving time through Empathy in Action, a program that brings 30–40 members of the public inside CTF Soledad prison every week to sit in dialogue with incarcerated men. I believe that if we can change the way we see people in prison, we can change the world.

What began as one day inside San Quentin changed the course of my life. I discovered that healing—not punishment—is what transforms people. I've also discovered that prisons are not full of violent people. Rather, they are filled with men and women who carry immense amounts of unprocessed, unrecognized trauma and are yearning for help, connection, and love.

A Brother in Blue shared that, “Empathy in Action has helped me reconnect with the man I was before the trauma and the mistakes. I’ve done a lot of time—but nothing has made me feel more free than the time I’ve dedicated to this program.”

What I've Built:

I created the Transformative Justice Center (TJC)—the first space in the nation dedicated to highlighting and exploring the lives of people in prison and the potential for transformation through radical empathy and connection.

Inside the Center, visitors can step into a life-size 6x9 prison cell replica, walk through art exhibits created by incarcerated men and women, and learn about all the programs we offer in prison and for those returning to society.

Inside the prisons, Empathy in Action hosts 8-week “family circles” where incarcerated participants and community volunteers explore profound questions together:

Who have you hurt, and who has hurt you—and what would healing look like for each?

What parts of yourself have you hidden to survive?

Are there things that can’t be forgiven?

What have been some of the greatest losses of your life and have you ever experienced love?

We laugh, we cry, we breathe, and we listen until all the labels fall away.

Over 700 volunteers have joined me inside over the past three years, touching thousands of prisoners' lives. Among 30 men released, 0 percent have returned to prison.

This is what true rehabilitation looks like.

What I Offer:

Empathy in Action – 8-week healing dialogues inside prison where volunteers and incarcerated people sit face-to-face to build understanding, accountability, and hope.

Yoga & Healing Circles – Inside CTF Soledad, I volunteer to teach weekly yoga and host monthly trauma-informed healing workshops, often including restorative yoga, sound healing, meditation, and holotropic breathwork led by UFC fighter Cain Velasquez.

Transition with Purpose – A re-entry employment and mentorship initiative supporting people as they return home.

Prison Tours & Education – We invite the public into correctional facilities to experience transformation firsthand and change the narrative about who’s inside.

Incarcerated Women's Program – Bringing Empathy in Action to incarcerated women at the 2nd largest female prison in the nation - CCWF March 2026!

The World Is Beginning to See:

Our 35-minute documentary, “Going Inside: Empathy in Action,” is officially nominated for BEST Overall Documentary at the Texas Short Film Festival.

We also launched a powerful 8-part YouTube mini-series, “Time Together,” that captures real moments of transformation inside the prison walls between volunteers and prisoners.

The Crisis I'm Facing:

Because of a state accounting error, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation accidentally overpaid my nonprofit $79,200—funds that were already spent sustaining these programs. Now the state wants it back.

At the same time, our main grant expired, leaving us without operating funds. It costs $10,000–$15,000 per month to keep this life-changing work alive—covering modest team stipends, the TJC lease, insurance, materials for participants, and outreach that brings volunteers inside.

Without immediate help, both the Center and Empathy in Action are at risk of closing.

How You Can Help:

$25 – Sponsors one volunteer’s day inside prison.

$50 – Provides journals, yoga mats, and art supplies for participants.

$100 – Supports a week of mindfulness classes behind the walls.

$250 – Brings five new volunteers inside for a circle.

$750 – Funds one week of operations at the TJC.

$1,000–$5,000 – Keeps the Center open and our message spreading through film and outreach.

$79,200 – Pays off the debt so we can begin again.

Every dollar brings us closer to freedom—not just for those incarcerated, but for all of us learning to see beyond the bars.

Why This Matters:

This work is about rewriting the story of justice in America—turning a palace of pain into a house of healing.

If we can keep the doors open, we’ll continue expanding Empathy in Action statewide, and then nationwide, while also working to create a retreat-style transitional home—a sacred place where those returning from prison can heal, learn, and rebuild their lives through yoga, nature, education, nourishing food, and the presence of a caring community walking each other home.