WHAT IS THE LIFE CHANGERS PROGRAM?
Life Changers is a peer mentor program that addresses the issues men and women face after years of incarceration.
Download the Life Changers brochure [PDF]
Life Changers are trained to be keenly sensitive to post- incarceration trauma, pre-recidivist signs, self-destructive triggers as well as anti-social symptomology which exhibits itself in the frustration festering inside the newly released person.
Life Changers provides a safety net of healing and positive re-direction that many professionals often overlook or ignore. The frustration described above creates a common thread of complaint among the newly released and therefore becomes the primary focus Life Changers is determined to address. We have the skill, experience and training to stop the deadly spin of that wheel of prison recidivism, community destruction, and family loss that has decimated our communities.
The process to officially become a Life Changer is to undergo and complete an intense 90-day orientation period, during which participants will attend (12) twelve training workshops, plus two additional breakout sessions: Know Your Rights and Bullying.
The workshops will each be 1.5 hours long, and will take place once a week. Two breakout sessions will be held on a separate day during the 12-week session. We will give each program participant a $30 cash card during each workshop to help defray some costs associated with putting their lives back together. We will also make bus passes available. At the conclusion of the sessions, each participant who completes the program will receive $150. cash card to use as s/he sees fit!
Workshops will address realistic self-reevaluation, positive self-talk and the power of growth. During the 12th workshop we’ll work on enabling the group as a whole to help each group member determine their individual strengths, weaknesses, skills, talents, and progress in implementing personal goals set during previous workshop sessions.
Mission and Activities
The Life Changers program mission is to connect with the newly released prisoner to provide a safety net of healing and positive re-direction that professionals often ignore or overlook.
Program Directors are formerly incarcerated long term lifers who conduct and participate in a series of twelve (12) intensive workshops. They are trained to be keenly sensitive to post-incarceration trauma, pre-recidivist signs, self-destructive triggers as well as anti-social symptomology, which exhibits itself in the frustration festering inside the newly released person.
WEEK ONE: Presentation: Tell your Story (autobiographical history). Express highlight and low points of your life. Biggest happiness, greatest downfall. Greatest gain, biggest loss. Your greatest talents/ dreams. Your worst nightmares.
WEEK TWO: Initial self-inventory.
WEEK THREE: Paranoia, hostility and post prison trauma. Group sharing/participation.
WEEK FOUR: Anti-social/race, crime, gang loyalties and identifications.
WEEK FIVE: Self-destructive triggers, low self-esteem.
WEEK SIX: Pushing past ego. Gaining selfhood. Sexism, racism. Self-justice/relationship justice.
WEEK SEVEN: Highlight the moment you turned yourself around, got out the gang, stopped using drugs, sex trade, etc. (Personal life changer moment)
WEEK EIGHT: Working together, highlighting each other’s skill set. Making professional presentations and positive impressions.
WEEK NINE: Solutions. Power of positive ‘self-talk.’
WEEK TEN: Know your rights workshop!! Example: what to do when encountering law enforcement.
WEEK ELEVEN: Final inventory. Groups focus on each participant’s strengths, weaknesses, shortcomings and
potential.
WEEK TWELVE: Planning/Strategy session with a discussion on the importance of being activists and being aware of your rights
Post Traumatic Incarceration Syndrome related to long terms of incarceration is beginning to be recognized as a factor in successful reintegration into society, or one’s community and as a factor in recidivism. As an organization with a large base of former lifers, our members saw an immediate need to address to problem thru our life changers program, and the subsequent work of our organization.
Professionals in the field have attempted to address the issue, but with all their professional knowledge their relationship with former prisoners is always going to be limited by their understanding and their views.
In 2018, we began our first Life Changers’ workshops for youth. We are targeting youth who live with the daily trauma of living in South Central Los Angeles, poorly funded schools, little after school activities, no jobs but Mc Jobs, and where shooting death and injuries are the norm.
HOW TO BECOME A LIFE CHANGER
Life Changers are trained to be keenly sensitive to post- incarceration trauma, pre-recidivist signs, self-destructive triggers as well as anti-social symptomology which exhibits itself in the frustration festering inside the newly released person.
Life Changers provides a safety net of healing and positive re-direction that many professionals often overlook or ignore. The frustration described above creates a common thread of complaint among the newly released and therefore becomes the primary focus Life Changers is determined to address. We have the skill, experience and training to stop the deadly spin of that wheel of prison recidivism, community destruction, and family loss that has decimated our communities.
The process to officially become a Life Changer is to undergo and complete an intense 90-day orientation period, during which participants will attend (12) twelve training workshops. These workshops will each be an hour and a half long, and will take place once a week. We will give each program participant a $30 stipend at the end of each workshop to help with basic needs.
Workshops will address realistic self-reevaluation, positive self-talk and the power of growth. The 12th workshop will engage the group in helping each group member determine their individual strengths, weaknesses, skills, talents, and progress in implementing personal goals set during previous workshop sessions
The final step in the process is for each group member to come before a Membership Review Board for final evaluation. If the evaluation is favorable, the program member will officially become a Life Changer. He or she will then get a copy of the group’s by-laws, and initial work assignment and duty schedule. S/he will receive $150.00 upon completion of the program.
They will have access to community work assignments and support as begin to live their lives with purpose, practical success and meaning.
[Top image: Life Changers original program 2015. Bottom image: Life Changers Graduating Class Spring 2023 ]
CHANGING THE LIVES OF YOUTH
Youth in our community deal with trauma as if it’s the norm. They are in every sense of the word an Endangered Species. Thoughts of higher education and meaningful careers do not enter their minds as those are not part of their world. Our goal through Life Changers is to change their norm and elevate their outlook!
We intend to have ongoing groups of eight to ten youth who will go through the Life Changers Program. Those 15-24 year old persons who successfully graduate from our program become LIFE CHANGERS!
DIRECTORS
Mark Cofield grew up in South Central Los Angeles, where as a youth, he was introduced to a Los Angeles based street gang known as the Crips. This gang lifestyle led to him to serving over 30 years of incarceration throughout his juvenile and adult life. Now he’s a proud member of Fair Chance Project (FCP) and the co-director of the Life Changers program. Working with FCP has given him the opportunity to have a positive impact on a community that he once impacted in a negative way.
Raymond Flynn came to South Central Los Angeles from Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 10. Within two short years, his life was upended. His older brother joined a street gang and Raymond, barely 12 years of age, followed his lead. Following a street code of “ethics,” Raymond was involved in a gang related murder that cost other young men their lives and sent Raymond to prison for 32 years. He was 16 years old. Raymond spent a lot of time inside working on himself and began to see that “Street Life” was filling a void that was left by a father he never knew. He came home determined to have an impact on the youth. He graduated from the 4th Life Changers series and will co-lead the first Youth Life Changers program.
[Image captions from top to bottom: Life Changers Graduating Classes of Summer 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2018, Spring 2023, and Spring 2017, Congresswoman Maxine Waters and Mark Cofield at Thanksgiving Giveaway 2023]
GET INVOLVED
Download the Life Changers brochure [PDF]
Contact Mark Cofield to inquire: 310.677.7445