Heavily Meditated

The prison environment presents one the most stressful and challenging situations a human being can face. Rather than correcting violent or other criminal activities, it more often serves to further ingrain these tendencies in inmates. People who have served time in prisons or youth correctional facilities are more likely to be re-incarcerated than individuals who were never incarcerated before. Meditation programs in adult prisons have proven to reduce recidivism, reduce incidences of prison violence and other maladaptive behavior, and improve personal outlooks (Alexander, 2003; Himelstein, 2011; Suarez et al. 2014). 

There are few such programs in juvenile detention facilities, but those that have been studied yield similarly positive results (Witoonchart, Bartlet 2002; Evans-Chase, 2013).  Meditation can be a strong component of a tool kit to help incarcerated youth take charge of their lives and pursue personal and professional paths that keep them healthy and out of prison. “Heavily Meditated” aims to be part of that toolkit, showing youth at risk and incarcerated youth real life examples of people in situations that may be similar to their own who have benefited from meditation.

PARTNERS

In a filmed interview for “Heavily Meditated”, Fairborz Pakseresht, Director of the Oregon Youth Authority, said, “When I first found out that this workshop was happening I thought it was great but didn’t have time to participate. Then I realized that I really had to, because this can be a part of prison reform moving forward.” Mr. Pakseresht has committed to bringing the film to all ten of the youth correctional facilities in OR. He is also the Vice President of the National Partnership for Juvenile Services and believes the film could be an inspiring educational tool for juvenile offenders and youth at risk across the country.

Fleet Maull has provided a letter committing the Prison Mindfulness Institute (PMI) to promoting the film to its 190 member organizations, through its website, and mailing list. Fleet will attend special screenings of the film in youth correctional facilities.
 

LINKS

Oregon Youth Authority: http://www.oregon.gov/oya/pages/index.aspx
Prison Mindfulness Institute:  http://www.prisonmindfulness.org

The Lineage Project- Mindfulness Practices for Youth At Risk: http://www.lineageproject.org/

David Lynch Foundation: https://www.davidlynchfoundation.org/prisons.html
Vipassana Meditation Courses in Prisons: http://www.prison.dhamma.org/
 

FILMS
Doing Time, Doing Vipassana: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkxSyv5R1sg
Damma Brothers: http://www.dhammabrothers.com/
 

ARTICLES
Evans-Chase, M. 2013. “Internet-Based Mindfulness Meditation and Self-regulation: A Randomized Trial with Juvenile Justice Involved Youth” Journal of Juvenile Justice. 3 (1)

Himelstein, S. 2011. “Meditation Research: The State of the Art in Correctional Settings” International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology. 55 (4): 646-661.

Suarez, A. Lee, D. Rowe, C. Gomes, A. Murowchick, E., and Linn, P. 2014. “Freedom Project: Nonviolent Communication and Mindfulness Training in Prison” Sage Open, 1-10.

Walton, G. K., Orme-Johnson, D., Goodman, R.S.  2014. “Transcendental Meditation in Criminal Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention” New York: Routledge.

Witoonchart, C. Bartlet, L. 2002. “The Use of a Meditation Programme for Institutionalized Juvenile Delinquents” Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand. 85 (2): 790-793.