Eldra Jackson III

Eldra Jackson III is a spiritual warrior who lives a passion of "saving lives one circle at a time." After living most of his life devoid of emotions and coming face-to-face with the reality of dying behind bars, he came to a point of self-inquiry, seeking answers as to how his life had spiraled into a mass of destruction set upon self and others. From this point, the space was made to save his life.

During his time in prison, Jackson was immersed in a deep culture of toxic masculinity. After joining a gang at 14, Jackson learned how to behave in a hypermasculine way from older gang members. After participating in Inside Circle, a men's group within his prison aiming to help prisoners put in "the work" to look back on the decisions they've made and the mindsets behind the decisions. His participation in Inside Circle helped Jackson turn his life around.

Today, Jackson works to bring his spiritual medicine into the world while simultaneously guiding others to tap into their own internal salve and help identify wounds. Through his intensive awareness work, he is on a mission to show the world what's possible as each person does their own internal examination to begin the path towards emotional and psychic health.

He is the co-executive director of Inside Circle, leading a group of volunteers dedicated to supporting the personal growth of men in prison. They work to reduce recidivism and all forms of violence-physical, emotional and psychological-in prisons and communities. They were featured in "The Work," a Grand Jury Award winning film at the SXSW film festival in 2017.