Contemplative programs for inmates and organized Buddhist prison groups have have offered promising avenues for reform and rehabilitation. Advocates in the early nineteenth century believed that sile
Prison meditation programs based on Buddhist, Hindu, and Daoist teachings first gained attention in the 1970s and 1980s, with organized efforts to explore Buddhism in particular taking off in the 1980s. The creation of the Prison Dharma Network (now the Prison Mindfulness Institute) in the late 1980s marked a turning point, with former inmates and dharma instructors working closely together to address the unique challenges faced by imprisoned practitioners and explore ways to offer long term support as prisoners face important transitions.
