Prisoner Rehabilitation

"Expand your vision, and see that inside every culprit is a victim crying for help. If you heal the victim, you will eliminate crime from the planet."
-- H. H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

The Vision

The Prison program was developed by His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar with the underlying principle that every culprit is himself/herself a victim of their circumstances. It is customized for application within high stress environments like prisons and juvenile detention centers.

Addressing this need we support:

1. The primary population including inmates, ex-inmates, half-way house residents, those on parole or probation, incarcerated youth at juvenile justice centers, and women in prison
2. The victims of the crime
3. Those working to control it, i.e. criminal justice professionals, law enforcement officers, prison officials and administrators.

Highlights of the Program

The first of its kind, it is progressive, practical and result-oriented, providing compassionate, innovative and effective solutions to breaking the cycles of violence and tackling escalating global crime rates.
Most importantly, it offers prisoners the opportunity of genuine rehabilitation and integration into society.
The Sudarshan Kriya breathing technique, which completely roots out stress – the main cause of crime, primarily makes this possible.
They are given a vision and at the end of the program they are presented with a mission, as to how they can live better lives and contribute to society on their release.
SRIJAN (Social Rehabilitation of Inmates in Jail and Aiding the Needy) was started in india, which is an organization that teaches vocational skills during confinement, and empower inmate with skills that would make them independent on their release.

Prison Videos

The Prison Smart Program

DAIL-UP: PrisonSmart2.wmv (1.2MB)
BROADBAND: PrisonSmart.wmv (3.8MB)

Breathe SMART Prison Program in Denmark

Breathe SMART Denmark.mpg

The Benefits

Once inmates undergo the Prison Program, some of the common benefits observed are:

Measurable and sustained reductions in violence, anger, rebelliousness, depression, fear and feelings of isolation
Measurable and sustained reductions in smoking, drinking and alcohol abuse
Reduction in ‘reoffending’/ recidivism (i.e. the continual return of former inmates to prison)
Measurable and sustained improvements in undertaking the daily breath practice, co-operation with higher authorities, co-operation with peers, teamwork, participation in rehabilitation and other training, capacity to cope positively with normal stress stimuli, feelings of calmness and feelings of security.

There is also in-depth research being conducted, mainly in the prisons in the USA. The results are quite astonishing.

80% of the inmates report a full night’s sleep as a result of the Program.
60% of the inmates report that they are less prone to act aggressively towards staff, and they attribute this change to the Program.
In housing units, where the Prison Program has been offered, staff report large increases in inmate co-operation.
75% of the staff that observe the Program, or have heard about it, request that we conduct a Program for them and their families.

The Results

Since 1992, this Program has reached out, touched and transformed the lives of over 120,000 inmates in incarceration facilities the world over. It aids angry, depressed, troubled, stressed, and/or drug-dependent individuals to take charge of their lives and regain their self esteem.

Testimonials

“I used to actually look forward to fights… but now, since doing this course, I’m a totally different person. I can now walk away from a fight.”
-- Inmate Pollsmoor Prison, Cape Town, South Africa.

“Most of them become more calm, more motivated. After they finish this course,they start attending other courses, more. They start going to school and to the workshop. They get focused, they learn a trade, and they get focused on the people they want to be when they get out of prison.”
-- Marietjie Smit, Social Worker, Leeukop Prison, Pretoria.

“If an iron rod is heated in the middle, the rod bends at that point – like that, my life has turned. In the ’90s, I used to smoke. In the millennium, it was something even worse. But now, I am changed – completely transformed. Now we have understood that only love can win the world.”
-- Hardcore Terrorist Inmate, Udhampur Jail, Jammu & Kashmir, India.

“Earlier on, we were listening to words of conflict and confrontation. Now we have met Sri Sri. He has filled us with love, and the love he showers on others, has made us so happy.”
-- Rebel, Bihar, India.

“I never realized I could get so high off of breathing! Wow! I feel so relaxed and peaceful. And I’ve done it just on my own breath."
-- Minor Challenger Memorial Youth Centre, Los Angeles.

The Reach

The Prison Program is conducted in many prisons in the following countries. The program is ever expanding, both in these countries and to new countries.

India
India has the largest base of both prisons and prisoners where the prison program has been conducted. It has reached out to over 100 prisons, touching the lives of more than 52,000 inmates (including hardcore terrorists) across the nation, in the past 5 years alone! The West Bengal state government has tied up with the Art of Living to conduct Prison Programs in all its prisons and correctional homes. The different regions in India where the Prison Program has been conducted are:

Jammu & Kashmir:

The Program was initiated in 2002 for jail inmates and prison staff.
The first significant break through occurred at Udhampur jail, where majority of inmates were terrorists.
Till date nearly 1000 prisoners and about 200 prison staff have taken this program.
The Prison Program teachers also went to prisons in towns like Jammu, Kotbhalwal, Rajauri, Poonch, Hiranagar and Kathwa.

Bihar:

His Holiness brought together two of Bihar’s most violent and bitter rivals – the Ranvir Sena and the CPIM(L) communist outfit. Both factions met, discussed and sorted their issues with Him.
In Patna, Bhagalpur, Aara, Gaya and Muzzafarpur over 3500 prisoners have experienced the program with 2500 in Patna’s Beur jail alone.

Gujarat:

The program has been conducted in 23 prisons across the state in 2 central, 6 district, 12 sub-jails, 2 special jails and 1 open jail helping over 3550 prisoners.
In Ahemdabad alone, the Art of Living has reached out to 1500 inmates.
Some of the other towns where the program was held are Surat, Varodara, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Junagarh and Godhara.

Mumbai:

Byculla Jail: The Prison Program shot to the limelight in Mumbai, when Mohammed Afroze, accused of alleged links to the terrorist outfit, Al Qaeda, underwent the Prison Program in Byculla jail.
Arthur Road Jail: The course was also successfully conducted in Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail, which is a high-security prison.

Madhya Pradesh:

In Jabalpur alone there have been 3500 prisoners that have befitted from the Prison Program, of which 500 were women.
950 inmates, 100 juvenile offenders and a large number of prison staff have also undergone this program in other part of Madhya Pradesh such as Indore, Gwalior, Sagar and Damoh.

Rajasthan:

The Prison Program has reached out to over 750 prisoners.
It is conducted in numerous prisons across Rajasthan in towns such as Jodhpur, Jaipur, Bikaner, Udaipur and Alwar.

Punjab:

In Jalandhar, about 5 months ago, a YLTP was conducted for 35 inmates.
Five of them were given Nav Chetana Shibir manuals and are now conducting Breath-Water-Sound workshops in their communities.

New Delhi:

In the Police Training School over 4,000 trainees (men and women) from the Police Training School (Jharoda Kalan, New Delhi) have undergone the Program.
Dr. Kiran Bedi (former Jt. Commissioner of Police, Training), says, “Prison Programs were conducted for the Delhi Police Training College with the idea of getting the police to learn how to manage stress and deal with offenders in a humane way. The results were impressive. The relationship between offenders, and police, became cordial, and inspiring, rather than frightening. So satisfying has been the experience working, and collaborating, with the Art of Living, that I strongly recommend that these programs be conducted throughout the world in all prisons, and all through out the police force, in addition to schools, hospitals, other organizations, and just about everywhere else.”
Tihar jail: Housing over 12,000 inmates (some of whom fall into the High-Risk category), is one of Asia’s largest prisons, is also one of Prison Program’s biggest successes. Till date more than 25,000 inmates and over 600 staff members have benefited from the program.