Jeffrey Bliss is a 50-year-old man who has been involved with the criminal justice system for over 35 years. He is a high school graduate who pursued higher education through college programs offered to the New York State prison population until they were disbanded in the 1990s. During his lengthy incarceration, he has completed various training programs (including the Counseling Aid II program) that allow him to do peer counselling and help facilitate groups inside the prison.