“Prisons are places filled with trauma. The healing meditation practice that Ben brings is unique, necessary, and consequential.”
About the WITHIN Project
The WITHIN Project is founded on the conviction that every human being is worthy of love, capable of change, and deserving of access to the healing power of meditation.
This initiative began in the fall of 2023 through a relationship between Milwaukee-area meditation teacher Ben Katt and Marquette University Law School’s Andrew Center for Restorative Justice, which led to the first meditation course at Racine Correctional Institution (RCI) in March 2024. This initial offering was for incarcerated individuals at RCI who had participated in and completed the Andrew Center’s restorative justice circle process. A second course followed in May 2024 for the next group of circle participants. Since then, the program has been offered a total of 13 times to over 100 individuals at the following facilities:
Robert E. Ellsworth Correctional Center for women
Marshall Sherrer Correctional Center
Felmers O. Chaney Correctional Center
Racine Youth Offender Correctional Facility
Racine Correctional Facility
In May 2024, the WITHIN Project officially became a fiscally-sponsored project of Social Good Fund, a California nonprofit corporation and registered 501(c)(3) organization, Tax ID (EIN) 46-1323531.
In 2025, the WITHIN Project will be launching at other correctional facilities in Wisconsin, including women’s, youth, and work-release facilities. The program is also available for reentry organizations as well as corrections officers and administration.
About the Meditation Technique
The WITHIN Project Meditation Course teaches the world-renowned 1 Giant Mind “Being” technique. It is a simple, effortless meditation style that calms the mind, relaxes the body, and releases stress and trauma. This technique is:
Self-Sufficient. Once learned, it can be practiced anywhere, anytime without needing a facilitator or app, special location or seat. It can easily be incorporated into daily life.
Non-Religious. It can be practiced by anyone regardless of religious beliefs or practices.
Easy and Enjoyable. Not only can anyone learn it, but it also becomes something to look forward to. This combination makes it a powerful daily stress release program.
About the Founder & Executive Director
Ben Katt has been helping people experience deep transformation and access lives of greater joy, compassion, and purpose for the past twenty years. He is a certified advanced meditation teacher of the 1 Giant Mind technique, holds a Master of Divinity degree, and was an ordained minister for over a decade.
Beyond the WITHIN Project, Ben is a speaker, coach, and volunteer hospice chaplain. He is the author of THE WAY HOME: Discovering the Hero’s Journey to Wholeness at Midlife and writes regularly in his weekly STILL newsletter.
Ben lives in Milwaukee, WI with his wife and three children.
You can learn more about Ben and his work here.