A Unique Inside-Out Seminar
June, 2026
By Lori Pompa
Last month, on May 8th, 2026, ten of our formerly incarcerated coaches conducted a daylong continuing education seminar with about 40 participants that was sponsored by Seattle University’s Crime and Justice Research Center. The themes of the day – a totally interactive Inside-Out experience – included: What is Justice?; Dimensions of Just Mercy; The Impact of Power and Privilege on Society and Systems; Changes Needed to Reach a Reimagined Sense of Justice; and finally – Transformative Education as an Engine to Create Social Change. The keynote address included the story of Inside-Out and was entitled, “How One Conversation Sparked a Global Movement.”
Afterwards, a participant who Zoomed in from Istanbul, shared: “It was one of the most professional, interactive, and genuinely inclusive events I’ve attended.…The environment made it easy to reflect, ask questions, and openly discuss difficult but important topics….One of the most insightful parts for me was learning more about programs like Inside-Out….The experience gave me a lot to think about and reminded me how important education and empathy are in creating meaningful social change.”
Participants hailed from throughout the US, as well as such countries as Turkey, Nigeria, Canada, and the UK, including educators, doctoral students, criminal justice practitioners, professionals from various sectors, and interested community members. The coaches, as usual, did a fabulous job – and this proved to be yet another example of the important work that Inside-Out continues to do in the world.
