Lived Experience First
Our founder, program manager, and board members include people directly impacted by incarceration. The work is designed from the inside out.
About Us
We exist because
healing is a human right.
The Heart Center was born from grief, conviction, and a belief that the ones most harmed by the systems we live in deserve the deepest repair.
The Problem
Trauma doesn't end
when the sentence does.
The mental, emotional, and physical health repercussions of trauma and distress within the context of mass incarceration contribute to cycles of recidivism, emotional dysregulation, and suicidal ideation.
Individuals often lack access to the support systems needed for healing and long-term transformation. The wounds of incarceration, for the person inside and the people who love them, pass through generations.
77%
Rearrested within 5 years
2.7M
Children with an incarcerated parent in the U.S.
Our Solution
Free, trauma-informed
spaces for repair.
The Heart Center offers free healing retreats and trauma-informed wellness practices for individuals impacted by incarceration.
Our goal is to disrupt cycles of harm by addressing root causes and fostering resilience, self-love, and emotional restoration. We support reentry with dignity and the tools needed for lasting well-being, inside prisons, after release, and across the families who carry this weight together.
Our Approach
Rooted in lived experience,
led by the heart.
Long-Term Support
A retreat is not a goodbye. Participants receive ongoing sponsored services, therapy, coaching, training, chosen based on what they actually need.
Accessibility Always
Free transportation. Free meals. Free care. No financial barrier to healing, ever. Abundance is in our values, and we live it.
Trauma-Informed
Every practitioner is trained in trauma,informed methods. Safety, choice, and consent shape every moment of every gathering.
Founder's Voice
"Healing modalities saved my life. Those impacted by the system deserve access to healing care of their choice now."
— Okha Shank Butler, Founder & Executive Director
Join Our Team
Ways to help our vision.
Interested in learning about opportunities on how you can help?