Doug Noll and the Prison of Peace Project 

Douglas Noll, Esq is a man of many talents who has a passion for social justice and peacemaking. Doug is also a seasoned international mediator and trainer from California and a founding member of MBB. Doug was recently honored as an Encore Fellow from Encore.org for significant work contributed in the world after 60 years of life. The honor was for his pro bono work with the Prison of Peace project which he co-created with fellow mediator Laurel Kaufer, Esq.

The project came to life at the request of a woman inmate, recognized a dire need for peacemaking within the prison environment and sent out pleas for peacemaking support to mediators across the country. Upon receipt of her letter in 2009, Laurel and Doug responded without hesitation and thus the Prison of Peace project began. A movement was born!

The project builds capacity in peacemaking and mediation for women inmates serving long term sentences and life sentences. The numerous goals of Prison of Peace project include teaching personal emotional intelligence skills and essential personal problem-solving skills, introducing and teaching the restorative process of peace circles and the principles of moral engagement and teaching basic mediation skills as third party neutrals.

As of August 2014, there has been programs launched in five California facilities so far and over 250 Peacemakers have graduated from the Prison of Peace program. Moving and powerful testimony from peacemakers who have experienced transformation and healing through the Prison of Project can be viewed at their website.

Based on the success in prisons, Doug is taking the work to high schools and middle schools, where he is training teachers in problem-solving and deep, empathic listening. He hopes to help schools reduce violence and bullying in the same way the inmates have reduced violence in their prisons.