Universal Well Being (UWB) is a Cognitive Behavioral Mindfulness Training (CBMT) construct that serves as the foundation for all other TENT curriculum. UWB is rooted in the four phases that culminate the Point of Redemption. The Point of Redemption is when the risk of someone committing a new crime is as low as that as someone who has never committed a crime. UWB sparks desistance in those who weren’t previously interested in desistance, identifies those who are signaling they’re ready to desist, supports primary desistance (any lull in criminal activity) fosters secondary desistance (when one self-identifies as a non-criminal or changed person,) and assists in incarcerated people developing a pro-social identity that can be transferred to the free world their release. UWB helps clients understand the brain chemistry that motivates behavior and provides them equipment to assist in the navigation of personal trauma, The UWB workbook concludes with a mindful Values Assessment in which participants clarify their priorities and answer the question: “Does your identity align with your values?” Depending on the answer participants decide if they need to change their values, their identity, or both. Their answers enable them to determine for themselves what their next step needs to be.

UWB draws from multiple sources to inform participants on a wide variety of topics including but not limited to, the mind/body connection, diet, exercise, and sleep. UWB implements Trauma Informed Andragogy techniques that allow participants to use their experience base to formulate realistic goals that will lead to the Point of Redemption and a transferable prosocial identity. To the best of TENT’s knowledge UWB is the only CBMT curriculum developed for prisoners by prisoners. This is vitally important as it eliminates the predictable “Yeah but …” deflections of individuals who want to blame the prison environment for what is actually their fundamental unwillingness to change. UWB assure all other TENT curriculum is delivered to those who will genuinely benefit from it as opposed to those who are merely going through the motions.

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