Prison Meditation

Buddhist meditation may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of high-security prisons. For 36 inmates at Alabama’s Donaldson Correctional Facility, a rigorous, silent, nine-day meditation course in 2002 gave them the tools to take a deep look at their lives and to connect with their humanity in the dehumanizing prison setting. Most have continued meditating, and identify themselves as members of a community, “The Dhamma Brothers.” That is also the name of a collection of their letters to workshop organizer Jenny Phillips, in which they describe the profound impact meditation has had on their lives.