The Second Life Project

I am formally trained as a neuroscientist. My passion as a scientist underlies the questions I ask of why we are the way we are and could we in fact be otherwise? Whether this is the brains of healthy people, or the damaged brains of my patients, whether it is communities, governance, legal systems, or social dynamics. I have served in academic positions at University College London and the University of California, San Francisco. I have published over 27 peer reviewed papers. I have developed a fascination for the exploration of social structures and self governance. As the president of Irrational Labs and the Social Science Observatory, studying humans in the wild, I have discovered that we can thrive in communities centered around common values, self-determination and solidarity. I have facilitated many collective spaces, decentralized networks, and experimental proto-institutions, which serve as prototypes for our collective futures.

US prison rates are higher than anywhere else in the world. One in nine prisoners are serving a life sentence. California has the highest percentage of prisoners serving life, around 35,000. These humans often enter the system as children and frequently serve in excess of twenty years. On their return, housing, home and community—fundamental parts of survival—are lacking. This renders much of their existence to bare survival, when it could be active societal participation and contribution. We are solving these problems by building home, community and integrated reentry for returning lifers. Our houses are both in San Francisco, and our third will be in Portland, Maine. We comprise a unique mix of formerly incarcerated and non with an extraordinary diversity of age, gender and ethnicity. Upon this platform of community, we not only support other returning citizens, but play a vital role in violence prevention and community restorative justice.

Across the USA, 200,000 people, or about 1 in 9 prisoners are serving life sentences. Due to successful pushes to empty overfilled prisons, in California alone, nearly 3,500 lifers have been released in the last five years. With COVID-19 measures to decarcerate, these numbers are increasing nationwide and begs the question, to what, and to whom, will they return? 

We ensure that they return to a community that solves for affordable housing,  reintegration from a segregated and stigmatized world, and community of belonging. Housing is challenging as parole conditions tie them to living in some of the most expensive cities in the world. Building community and social connections are harder still, due to societal segregation, and stigma, especially when one considers the norms that have become ingrained from growing up in prison (intragroup competition, racial segregation and individualism). Last by not least, we are solving for loneliness in one of the most socially isolated populations. In the US loneliness is killing people; recent meta-analyses revealed that social isolation significantly increases risk for premature mortality compared to those with strong relationships, an effect comparable with quitting smoking. Our community solves this by forging deep and long lasting connections.

We build self-determined communities with formerly incarcerated individuals returning from life sentences in prison. This manifests as physical spaces, social events and outreach. 

Transitional housing is not a new concept. What is different about these community houses is that they are self-determined. They are not externally managed by an outside agency, but are run by the people who inhabit them. In a deeply segregated society, these houses which are a mix of returning lifers and non-formerly incarcerated individuals, are deeply diverse places of integration where wildly different life experiences come together around the dinner table. 

We have forged a path in building unique, self-determined community housing with returning citizens such that they not only recover from their experiences but also get to use their extraordinary social and emotional skills for the benefit of the entire community. These are spaces to heal from a life of suffering, in the manner and time frame that suits them, distinct from mandated programs. This is a central component in their recovery from a long standing abusive relationship with a punitive state and marks a very different, and for many returning citizens, a first attempt at collectively assured autonomy. 

We are working to ameliorate the devastating impacts of mass incarceration among those who have served the longest sentences. This group are disproportionately African American individuals at risk of extreme loneliness. We reintegrate individuals who have served many decades in prison, released with no support beyond the $200 prepaid card administered upon release. Some have been exonerated which paradoxically disqualifies them from many government services.

It is not uncommon to hear returning citizens describe dreaming of freedom for decades only to find loneliness and isolation on the outside. That we live in invisible cages, that society is segregated. What they desire is a sense of belonging and to be valued.

Our community is unique in that it is mutually held - there is no management. Residents determine the shape of the community and participate in decision making at all levels. These are spaces built to empower returning citizens to design spaces, activities and create relationships that are seeking. There is support with resumes, jobs and public speaking, dating & relationships, sobriety and healing. This has left this group in a strong position to support other returning citizens and play a central role in anti-violence in our community.

The Second Life Project elevates the formerly incarcerated community, which is disproportionately older, African American and BIPOC individuals at risk of extreme loneliness and social isolation. We use a holistic approach, addressing the needs of this vulnerable population after very long periods of incarceration and solitary confinement. Reintegration into the fabric of our community takes place on an equal footing and shared learnings, elevating the self-efficacy of this marginalized, dis-empowered group. We creating the conditions necessary for individuals to re-integrate into the community in a way that serves both them and society, as well as providing a roadmap for others.

I have run a public lecture series at the Red Victorian in San Francisco for several years. One such lectures was given by an attorney, on the History of the California Prison system. During the Q&A it became clear that some of the attendees were formerly incarcerated individuals. When I asked them what they lacked they replied, “A place to be heard, and to build community.” They wanted a place to play Dungeons and Dragons, a game that had been their primary form of escape and relief during their years inside. Now on the outside, facing all the pressures of life, they had nowhere to play. Space is abundant in our network of intentional communities so this was an easy fix. The Second Life project was born: our attempt to create community together. We gather together each week to play and through this, I was able to understand our shared strengths and values, and crucially, what was needed. A year later we opened out first house which became a community hub and safe haven for many. In the years that followed the Second Life community has become a beloved part of the San Francisco.

I have a personal history that led me to this place. As a young person, I found myself in a position where I had to use the criminal justice system to prosecute someone that I loved. It was one of the worst things I have had to do in my life. Despite the seriousness of the harms done, I was able to advocate for a non-prison sentence, but I learned first hand, how woefully insufficient our justice system is. I, like many survivors, sought out alternatives to our current systems. From this place, I learned about organizations such as the Forgiveness Project, and restorative justice work of native communities. I started to understand that we live in a society that reinforced and instills violence and that if we really want to shift that, we everyone, on all sides of the harm trajectory to unite together in that shared project. When I started to meet those returning from such long sentences in prison, I realized that we had much in common: histories of abuse and violence that led us on difficult life trajectories. Through our shared struggle, we all learned the skills for healing, forgiveness and deep transformation. 

I have been building intentional communities centered around exploration, collective transformation and self-governance for nearly a decade. I have been facilitating the second life community for four years and have built high confidence relationships of care and trust with many returned citizens. Together we have been working on the cultural shift needed for healthy integration such that the wider community of San Francisco, who were initially very skeptical about returning citizens, are now enthusiastically ready for more.

I have forged genuine friendships with key players in this world, including San Francisco public defenders, parole attorneys, and individuals who serve incarcerated individuals preparing for return. In addition, I have developed relationships with incarcerated individuals who hope to regain freedom in the future. I am also deeply involved in restorative and transformative justice programs in the US, which means I have strong connections with grassroots organizations, and their facilitators. I have the skills to help empower and distribute our returning citizens to engage with violence prevention, and restorative justice processes in powerful ways. This is a unique position and an unusual network of relationships that positions me well to continue to build self-determined communities that help heal and integrate returning citizens and allows me to empower our society to use their skills for collective good.

Our community has gained a reputation both inside California’s prisons and with attorneys working to bring lifers home. We provide a deeply rewarding and successful path for re-entry that no one else provides.

In our second year of community building disaster struck. A founding member violated their parole on multiple counts. I was not sure how to support them. When I was finally able visit then in jail, they were in a padded anti-suicide suit. My heart broke. I wrote letters of support to the parole judge but did not know how to gain an audience. After 22 years of incarceration, and 1 year of freedom, this dear friend was returned to prison. I was paralyzed with guilt. It affected us all - when one person is perceived to damage the ‘lifer reputation’ (making it harder for others to be released), it can cause people turning on each other. What if this meant the end of the support for this fragile and stigmatized community?

Instead, I learned about parole, about internalized oppression, about post-incarceration syndrome. I learned how to support people in the system. We talk about these issues as a group, and make sure not to let people slip through the net. Today we are stronger for it. Raven is still incarcerated, but serves as our connection inside. I have a raven tattoo on my back for this awful but necessary learning.

My goal is to foster self-determined, autonomous collectives. A metric of  success then, is that I should be rarely needed, and only then for particularly challenging situations. One instance that I am proud of is when a member of our community engaged in behavior that put others at risk.

As one might imagine, being on parole involves a host of restrictions that can lead to re-incarceration. One such restriction is the consumption of alcohol, hence our Second Life spaces are sober spaces.

When a community member brought alcohol into one of our homes it caused fear and tension in our community. The situation was fraught with danger so I intervened to mediate a solution. I facilitated a meeting and ensured all had space to be heard. A consensus was reached that this particular space was not appropriate for this individual at this time. After the mediation, I offered to help this individual find alternative housing and assured them that not living in this particular space did not mean exclusion from our broader community. Ultimately, we managed to preserve relationships and maintain the safety of everyone involved. We all left an extremely challenging and fearful experience, collectively stronger and wiser.

Integration over segregation
There is nothing like our community houses out there. We leave our extraordinary different  life experiences at the door and join each other at the table to cook, eat and build life together as equals.

Long term think:
Unlike other ‘programs’, we do not have a time limit on our process. We focus on building community, and do not operate under a ‘time frame’ or deadline for the support that we offer. Folks in Second Life are able to make that their forever home - instead of focusing on where to move in the next 6 months or 1 year, they are able to focus on how we can expand our network of homes and solidarity based community events. By eliminating the revolving door we are able to create a level of safety, security and stability that fosters vulnerability, accountability and high engagement for some of the most marginalized in society. 

Self determination
Many programs for this group perpetuate the differentiation and hierarchy between those who are and are not formerly incarcerated - they are run by ‘staff’ for formerly incarcerated folks. In contrast Second Life is self run. Decisions are made through consensus, conversation and regular house meetings wherein the community is driving the direction of the house and external help is offered in the form of advisors. With the level of training in counseling that many of those in the Second Life community has, it is no surprise that this has been very successful.

My theory of change:

We are alienated from each other. Living alone renders us socially isolated, and means most 'free time' is spent on maintenance of domestic life. Society is segregated such that only like meet like, through work and leisure. These are not the conditions for a social species such as humans to thrive.  

Intentional community spaces are the modern tribe, the urban village, where we build rich social lives to counter the epidemic of loneliness that is quite literally killing us in the modern world. 

Immediate outcomes from community living
#1 ‘Surplus time’ - communal living is time-effective as the services for home making are shared (e.g. food ordering for 10 individuals is achieved by 1 person taking ~20mins/week). 

#2 ‘Surplus money  - communal living is financially efficient, rents are much lower than average. Food/supplies costs are reduced (max~$200/month all included). 

#3 'Surplus space' - large houses with a surplus of common space - exercise spaces, libraries, music rooms, reading rooms, gardens, decks and patios -  not affordable when living alone. 

#4 'Effective abundance' - describes the abundance that is created through sharing and living together. I use ‘effective’ to indicate that in many ways we actually use/consume less through living together but have the lived experience of having access to more. 

1. Basic needs for survival are met
2. Housing needs are met
3. Access to cultural variety (arts, music, poetry, reading groups)
4. Access to support for life infrastructure (career advice, professional connections, social network) 

Long-term successful outcomes from community living

1. Remaining free/discharge from parole
2. Emotional well-being - data suggests that living communally can reduce depression and the prevalence of common mental health disorders.
3. Healthy relationships - data suggests that coliving is associated with mutual aid and care relationships
4. Learn the skills to create new intentional community housing projects and empower others (this is how this scales)

Anecdotal data points

Usually returning citizens are eager to 'graduate'/leave ‘programs’ or transitional houses. In 2 years, we have only had 1 housemate leave the community (after being asked to leave), suggesting that we are creating sustainable autonomous community. 

There has been a dramatic increase in the number of lifers released due court orders to ease a prison crowding crisis. In addition, we find ourselves in a unique moment in time: As COVID-19 rages through the US prisons, public health experts and lawmakers have called for the early release of inmates, particularly the vulnerable to avoid a public health crisis. Thus, this marginalized population is about to get a lot bigger. 

We have developed a reputation with parole attorneys and parole departments as a place that serves this crucial need, and we are needed now more than ever. 

Our current community (directly affected) comprises around 150 individuals. Around 50 of these are formerly incarcerated, almost all still on parole. We have about 8 individuals who remain incarcerated that are actively part of our community.

This year we are expanding our community to other states, the next is Portland, Maine, where there is no parole and no services for those returning home. We grow our communities organically and so the rate of expansion depends on those present to facilitate. We have an exceptional team of six people (two formerly incarcerated) on the ground in Portland, and are viewing properties for purchase this month.

In one year we hope to have expanded our community to 500 across two states and ideally in the next five years if we are empowered to do so, 5000 people will be able to return to a welcoming community.

To use space as a platform for building community for marginalized groups for their mutual empowerment.

I facilitate many networks of communities and am working towards mutually assured learnings, so that others can help others to create their own versions through open access documentation and educational residencies. I will be opening an 20 bedroom educational facility in 2021 where one can come and stay for 3 months to learn how to set up such spaces.

I would like to focus in the formerly incarcerated trans community, and to this end have been forging links with these individuals both inside California's prisons. This is a particularly vulnerable group and in San Francisco we are well suited to support their unique needs.

There is a strong overlap between the formerly incarcerated and the homeless community. We have already begun to explore a similar approach for housing the homeless in these community spaces, with great success. We are starting the slow process of building relationships with this group, and hope to start a community space this year.

Aside from empowering others to help curate these community spaces, my hope is that the individuals in our community are elevated to positions of voice in society. We have been invited to speak on many panels, filmed in documentaries and featured in the newspapers, however I would like them to find their own voice and strength in this world, to have the impact on ending mass incarceration that so many of them desire.

Financial
To date, I have been very successful in capturing the imaginations of many. Throughout my academic career and community engineering, much of what has been achieved has come from people seeing my work, coming to me to offer resources or direct funding. This has been a wonderful experience, in that I just do what seems important to people and I am supported in the ways that I need. 

However, through lack of experience, mentorship or connections,  I am not well positioned to generate funding for others, which limits what I am able to do, as I cannot financially empower others. This is a large barrier to progress and this year I am focusing on this by applying for grants, and working on my fund-raising skills, and seeking private patronage. 

Legal barriers
It is well established that the carceral system in the US to a large degree criminalizes poverty and childhood trauma. This group have never had a safe clinical space to talk about their experiences. All of their therapists have required some waiver of confidentiality as a condition of treatment which only exacerbates their traumatic experiences of incarceration. This is traumatic in it’s own right and requires a solution.

Cultural
There is still much work to do in the de-stigmatization of this group. This is a huge problem for them in finding housing, work and forming relationships in the broader community.

Financial
I am hoping that these funds will allow me to empower others to help the curation of more spaces, and will comprise the relatively small start up funds that we need to continue our building and emancipatory place based communities. I am also hoping that the network that will come with the Elevate Prize will bring me some fundamental learnings in how to elicit patronage and support for the future to come. 

Legal barriers

I have a proposal for this issue, and have sort professional advice - which is to have in house legal and social worker teams, who are both able to provide therapeutics skills, but are also legally trained and thus can use attorney client privilege to protect the emotional confidence of their clients.   

Cultural
My hope is that the Elevate community, social and professional networks will be able to help with this. In addition to that, we are arranging for the Second Life Community to go on tour next year, to visit some cities where such community support is lacking and to teach people about community living, anti-violence measures and restorative justice. Access to media and marketing mentorship through the Elevate Award would be an incredible catalyst for shifting our cultural narrative around formerly incarcerated citizens.

The Second Life Project is in collaboration with the Alternative Justices project, which is a feminist endeavor to provide restorative and transformative justices services to the community. This comprises crucial cultural shift and education that is fundamental to violence and harm prevention, as well as alternative modes of response to violence, rape and sexual assault. Both the Second Life Project and Alternative Justices project are projects of District Commons a 501-(c)3 non-profit organization, dedicated to experimental commoning in autonomous communities, spaces, and projects.

The Embassy Network, which is a benefit corporation that serves many of the community houses that I am associated with. It is through these spaces and this diverse group of professionals, that we really have a mix of individuals to reintegrate our formerly incarcerated community into. 

We are also closely linked to the Prisoner Reentry Network and the United Playaz, both based in the Bay Area. Our new endevour in Portland, Maine will likely bring some new collaborations but these are to be confirmed.

Our houses are self sustaining once set up, and we only require funds to help with community operations and set up costs. We run a small fundraiser when we need it, which are very popular in the community. These fundraisers do not being in a large amount of money, but they really serve to increase community engagement and awareness. So far we have raised 12K in this way.

Our current plan to grow this project is to raise money through private donations as and when it is needed. I am applying to grants and awards, and looking for patronage to scale this community endevour up.

I am really good at doing what I do, and what I do is a tricky thing to be good at. However, I have reached a level where I cannot get beyond my own personal capacity. Relying on myself alone is not a scalable nor a healthy basis for any world changing project. I need mentorship, training and a new network to really drive this endeavor to a broader audience, and to really change the cultural landscape and lived experience for the returning citizens of the US, and beyond.

I need a platform and more varied network if I am to continue to shift the culture, de-stigmatize and elevate the voices and skills of this extraordinary but forgotten population.

I believe that the financial, social and infrastructural benefits associated with the Elevate Award are deeply sited to provide what is needed to leverage this unique set of people, relationships and skills to change the face and impact of returning citizens across the country. 

My skills in media and marketing are suboptimal to say the least. As an academic scientist I have no training in this whatsoever, and I believe this is a crucial part of what is needed to serve this population, to amplify their voices, wisdom and experiences, so that they can shine in society.