Business Leaders - Eldra Jackson

Eldra Jackson is co-executive director of Inside Circle. The non-profit organisation took shape when a race riot occurred on the B-Facility yard of New Folsom Prison in 1996. Today, they run programmes within prisons and the wider community, to empower system-impacted people, lower recidivism rates and build social-emotional literacy. As a writer and public speaker, he has recorded a TEDTalk about his personal journey which has received nearly two million views. In this in-depth conversation, Eldra shares the story of how Inside Circle transformed his life after 24 years in prison, teaching him “acceptance, compassion, forgiveness and love for himself;” discusses his current community work, focusing on at-risk youth and helping them come to terms with their experiences; and describes the role society must play in the wider conversation, understanding what others are going through, factors that lead towards a criminal path and how we all need to help others heal.