Mindfulness is often spoken about as a tool for reducing stress and improving wellbeing. But its impact goes much deeper, especially for people in secure services such as prisons and psychiatric hospitals. Jerome Sewell’s story is a powerful example of how mindfulness can heal trauma, transform lives, and create lasting change:
A Shared Vision for Mindfulness and Healing
I first met Karen when my company launched The Prodigal Monster, a film exploring the life of a young man who reformed after prison and psychiatric care. Mindfulness was one of the key practices that supported his recovery.
From that moment, Karen and I recognised our shared belief in the power of mindfulness for healing and transformation. Our collaboration has included film, writing, and interviews, all centred around the question: how can mindfulness bring hope to those who need it most?
My Journey Into Mindfulness
My introduction to mindfulness began with martial arts and Zen Buddhism. But it was only after being sent to prison, and later sectioned to a psychiatric hospital, that I discovered the true depth of this practice.
Like many entering secure services, I carried trauma from addiction, abuse, and violence. Within those systems, meditation became my lifeline.
Learning to Sit With Silence
In my practice of mindfulness, I learned a number of things that gave me adaptive and positive coping strategies. One of the most profound lessons my first meditation teacher taught me in 2019 was this:
“I am not my thoughts.”
This Buddhist teaching invites us to step back from the ego, the “I”, and detach from the identity we give our thoughts and feelings. Instead of being overwhelmed by them, mindfulness helps create space, a gentle distance, that allows healing.
While in hospital, I would simply sit in bed and allow whatever thoughts and feelings arose to come and go. Over time, I began to find peace in the silence itself. I even discovered a surprising joy in letting go of unhealthy habits and choosing a healthier way of living.
What truly changed my perspective was the mindful practice of compassion: a soft, self-soothing attitude that helped me meet my pain with kindness. Combined with Zen philosophy, this created the right conditions for personal growth.
These lessons became the foundation of my recovery and later, the way I would go on to support others.
Mindfulness Beyond Secure Services
Life after leaving prison and hospital wasn’t easy. I faced institutional trauma, stigma, and financial struggle. But with mindfulness as my foundation, I was able to rebuild.
Over time, I became director of two organisations supporting young offenders and psychiatric service users. I went on to manage more than 20 social projects, engaging over 2,000 people. The same mindfulness practices that healed me personally became the foundation of my professional work with others.
The Burning Breath Chapters
To capture these lessons, I co-authored The Burning Breath Chapters with Jason Harris and Mase Okor. The book combines my story with 28 case studies showing how mindfulness can support those facing disadvantage, whether in childhood, adolescence, or adulthood.
At its heart lies a belief: when we see how mindfulness works at the most extreme edges of human suffering, we understand its true power.
Why Mindfulness Matters in Secure Services
Mindfulness is not just for stress relief, it can be a transformative practice for those facing trauma and stigma within prisons and psychiatric care. Its benefits include:
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Creating safe space to process difficult thoughts and emotions
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Building compassion in environments of harshness and judgement
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Reducing harmful behaviours by providing healthier coping strategies
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Supporting rehabilitation and reintegration into society
Moving Forward
Mindfulness has the power to heal some of life’s deepest afflictions. In secure services, where people often feel voiceless, it can restore dignity, resilience, and hope.
Jerome’s journey reminds us that mindfulness is not only personal wellbeing practice, it is a pathway to rebuilding lives, even in the most challenging circumstances.