---
title: "Freedom Project: Nonviolent Communication and Mindfulness Training in Prison - Center for Nonviolent Communication"
description: ""
url: "https://www.cnvc.org/learn/research/freedom-project-nonviolent-communication-mindfulness-training-prison"
date: "2026-09-18T07:38:42+00:00"
language: "en-US"
---

#  Freedom Project

#  Nonviolent Communication and Mindfulness Training in Prison

Academic Journal Article by **Suarez, A., Lee, D. Y., Rowe, C., Gomez, A. A., Murowchick, E., Linn, P. L.** in English (2014)

 Sage Open, 4(1), 1-10

Freedom Project trains prisoners in nonviolent communication and meditation. Two complementary studies of its effects are reported in this article.

The first study is correlational; we found decreased recidivism rates among prisoners trained by Freedom Project compared with recidivism rates in Washington state.

The second study compared trained prisoners with a matched-pair control group and found improvement in self-reported anger, self-compassion, and certain forms of mindfulness among the trained group. Ratings of role-plays simulating difficult interactions show increased social skills among the group trained by Freedom Project than in the matched controls.

 [ Read Article ](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2158244013516154)