Beyond Us & Them: Circle Practices Transforming Prisons, Police & People with Jared Seide

About this episode

Dre and Jared Seide discuss transformative circle practices in prisons and law enforcement that foster connection and compassion.

In this episode of Circle This, Dre sits down with Jared Seide, Executive Director of Beyond Us & Them, a groundbreaking nonprofit bringing compassion, connection, and real tools for transformation into some of the most unlikely places—prisons, law enforcement agencies, healthcare systems, and policy spaces. Through circle and council practices, along with mindfulness-based techniques, Jared and his team train individuals within these systems to develop self-awareness, emotional regulation, and authentic connection. These programs go beyond "let's all get along" energy, this is deep, embodied work that is actively shifting how humans relate to themselves and each other inside systems that are rooted in separation and "othering." Together, they explore what happens when we interrupt the "us versus them" narrative and create spaces where people are truly seen, heard, and humanized. From incarcerated individuals experiencing profound connection to themselves and one another, to police officers learning resilience and relational intelligence, to communities finding their way back to belonging—this conversation reveals what becomes possible when there is an invitation to see beyond…

People in this episode

Host: Dre

Guest: Jared Seide

Topics covered

• circle practices
• transformation
• prisons
• law enforcement
• mindfulness
• social connection

Keywords

• circle practices
• transformation
• prisons
• law enforcement
• mindfulness
• self-awareness
• emotional regulation
• social connection

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Beyond Us & Them, Good Mess Media

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