The Mindfulness Suite (also known as The Blue Room) creates a calming environment for incarcerated women to regroup at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women (NCCW).

The suite – a repurposed and redecorated cell in the Strategic Treatment and Reintegration (STAR) mental health unit – opened in June 2016 to give women a space to call their own. Individuals can schedule hour-long appointments for quiet time in the room, which contains a couch, pillows, plants, sound-proof paneled walls, an olfactory machine with pleasant fragrances and a projector to play calming video and audio from a variety of outdoor scenes such as oceans, deserts and forests.

“I think calmer, happier, more centered people are safer to be around,” Unit Manager Cheryl Bicknase said. “It’s just nice to have somewhere to go to get away from whatever issue is causing them grief.”

Mental health team members drew inspiration for the suite from similar rooms in facilities in Washington and Oregon. Approximately 25 to 35 women visit NCCW’s Mindfulness Suite each week, proving its relevance and positive impact.

“You often hear that there’s no privacy in prison,” Bicknase said. “You don’t have a minute alone with your thoughts. This room gives the women a place to relax and tune out prison for an hour. It can have a very calming effect.”