"I live in St. Augustine Fla. Am attempting to address the lack of nutrition and the small portions served here. The Canteen foods, yes overpriced, are all sugar and salt no nutritional value.
Any suggestions beside getting lots and lots…"
David Chura's Page
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David Chura's blog post was featuredKeeping Locked-up Kids and Their Families Connected
Arizona’s legislature recently passed a law charging prison visitors a onetime $25 fee as a way to help close the state’s $1.6 billion budget deficit. Middle Ground Prison Reform, a prison advocacy group, challenged the law in court as a discriminatory tax, but a county judge upheld its constitutionality.Fees like that, slapped on prisoners and their families, couldn’t be more counterintuitive. But…See More
David Chura posted a blog postKeeping Locked-up Kids and Their Families Connected
Arizona’s legislature recently passed a law charging prison visitors a onetime $25 fee as a way to help close the state’s $1.6 billion budget deficit. Middle Ground Prison Reform, a prison advocacy group, challenged the law in court as a discriminatory tax, but a county judge upheld its constitutionality.Fees like that, slapped on prisoners and their families, couldn’t be more counterintuitive. But…See More
David Chura commented on David Chura's blog post Prisoners and Their Families Continue to Be Held in Contempt"Tamon Mark,
The fee is $25 per visit. You can get more information by putting your cursor on the words "Arizona Court" in the first line of the post and clicking. That should bring you o the article explaining more."
Tamon Mark Uttech commented on David Chura's blog post Prisoners and Their Families Continue to Be Held in Contempt"Onegaishimasu, what is the fee charged for? Could you elaborate and share more info? Thanks in advance.
In gassho,
tamonmark"
David Chura's blog post was featuredPrisoners and Their Families Continue to Be Held in Contempt
An Arizona court ruled that a fee charged to prison visitors is constitutional. Once again the burden is placed on poor families already struggling to keep their loved ones connected to a support system that study after study shows is essential for keeping ex-offenders out of jail. I am sometimes overwhelmed by the mean-spiritedness of our penal system and have to work hard to maintain my faith in people's goodness.See More
David Chura posted a blog postPrisoners and Their Families Continue to Be Held in Contempt
An Arizona court ruled that a fee charged to prison visitors is constitutional. Once again the burden is placed on poor families already struggling to keep their loved ones connected to a support system that study after study shows is essential for keeping ex-offenders out of jail. I am sometimes overwhelmed by the mean-spiritedness of our penal system and have to work hard to maintain my faith in people's goodness.See More
David Chura's blog post was featuredChildren of Disappointment and the Season of Hope
If anyone doubts that the young people locked up in our jails are children they should spend some time in one of those prisons around holiday time.I did just that for the 10 years I taught high school students, some as young as fifteen, in an adult county jail, and every year it got tougher to deny the impact being locked up for the holidays had on these teens.Jail’s a pretty isolating place. That’s one of the ideas. But in lockup they watched a lot of TV—that great purveyor of culture—and so…See More
David Chura's blog post was featuredThe Power of Spiritual Practice Behind Bars
The Christian Science Monitor did an interesting story on yoga and meditation in jails and its effects on violence, something that we are all pretty aware of, but I always find it heartening when stories like this appear in the mainline press. It's a great reminder to the general reader that people locked up in our national jails are people capable of change and demanding of respect.See More
David Chura posted a blog postThe Power of Spiritual Practice Behind Bars
The Christian Science Monitor did an interesting story on yoga and meditation in jails and its effects on violence, something that we are all pretty aware of, but I always find it heartening when stories like this appear in the mainline press. It's a great reminder to the general reader that people locked up in our national jails are people capable of change and demanding of respect.See More
David Chura's blog post was featuredGirls and Young Women in the Prison System: A Growing Population
It was like a giant switchboard, the kind you see in 30s and 40s movies, a bevy of operators plugging in a crisscross of wires, taking calls, making connections, a cacophony of chatter.That image came to me recently as I walked into the lobby of the MassMutual Center in Springfield, MA. The only difference was that the conversations filling the hall were about the same thing: girls and young women in the juvenile justice system.We were there—teachers, social workers, lawyers, mentors, youth…See More
David Chura posted a blog postGirls and Young Women in the Prison System: A Growing Population
It was like a giant switchboard, the kind you see in 30s and 40s movies, a bevy of operators plugging in a crisscross of wires, taking calls, making connections, a cacophony of chatter.That image came to me recently as I walked into the lobby of the MassMutual Center in Springfield, MA. The only difference was that the conversations filling the hall were about the same thing: girls and young women in the juvenile justice system.We were there—teachers, social workers, lawyers, mentors, youth…See More
Susan Austin left a comment for David Chura"Hi David,
A bit topsy-turvy here, so the long time in responding. Glad to find you here. I look forward to checking out your wordpress blog as well. All the best."
Carter (PDN Admin) commented on David Chura's blog post First the Good News: Locked-up Kids (May) Get Some Justice"Hi David,
Your passion comes through in this post! Thank you for citing so many studies, articles and statistics. It is truly helpful...and we're all pretty cranky about the situation too!
Warmly,
Carter ~ PDN staff"
David Chura posted a blog postFirst the Good News: Locked-up Kids (May) Get Some Justice
There’s been some good news in the media lately for anyone who cares about kids and justice. Federal statistics show that the number of juvenile offenders in jail has dropped by at least 25%. Along those same lines, the New York Times recently reported that New York Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman has called for moving most juvenile cases from criminal court to family court, where…See More
David Chura's blog post was featuredA Global Lesson in Hope: Concern for Justice Worldwide
In a six by eight foot jail cell there’s barely room for a bunk, a seatless toilet, and a postage-sized sink. The only other space you have in jail is in your head, and even that gets crowded with all the people you carry around in there who you resent for the things they did to you.The world is pretty small when you’re locked up, especially if you’re a kid doing time with a healthy body that needs to move, energy sizzling through you like high tension wires, your emotions threatening to blow…See More
Profile Information
- Country
- Hampshire
- How you are involved in Prison Dharma
- Teacher, Interested
- Tell us about yourself & your interest in prison dharma: (answer required) .
- I have been practicing Buddhist meditation for over 15 years. My career has been working with at-risk people in various crisis centers, psych hospitals, community counseling centers. For 26 years I taught troubled kids in alternative high school settings. The last ten of those years I taught minors locked up in an adult jail. "I Don't Wish Nobody to Have a Life Like Mine: Tales of Kids in Adult Lockup" (Beacon Press, Mar. 2010) describes many of the kids I meet in jail and some of the COs I worked with.
- My Website:
- http://kidsinthesystem.wordpress.com
- Prison or Dharma Books I Love
- True Notebooks by Mark Salzman; Dreams from the Monster Factory by Sunny Schwartz; Crossing the Yard by Richard Shelton;The Wisdom of No Escape by Pema Chodron; Breath by Breath by Larry Rosenberg; Appreciate Your Life by Taizan Maezumi Roshi
David Chura's Blog
Keeping Locked-up Kids and Their Families Connected
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 8:49am 0 Comments 0 Favorites
Arizona’s legislature recently passed a law charging prison visitors a onetime $25 fee as a way to help close the state’s $1.6 billion budget deficit. Middle Ground Prison Reform, a prison advocacy group, challenged the law in court as a discriminatory tax, but a county judge upheld its constitutionality.
Fees like that, slapped on prisoners and their families, couldn’t be more…
Continue Prisoners and Their Families Continue to Be Held in Contempt
Posted on December 27, 2011 at 12:06pm 2 Comments 0 Favorites
An Arizona court ruled that a fee charged to prison visitors is constitutional. Once again the burden is placed on poor families already struggling to keep their loved ones connected to a support system that study after study shows is essential for keeping ex-offenders out of jail. I am sometimes overwhelmed by the mean-spiritedness of our penal system and have to work hard to maintain my faith in people's goodness.
Children of Disappointment and the Season of Hope
Posted on December 22, 2011 at 4:19pm 0 Comments 0 Favorites
If anyone doubts that the young people locked up in our jails are children they should spend some time in one of those prisons around holiday time.
I did just that for the 10 years I taught high school students, some as young as fifteen, in an adult county jail, and every year it got tougher to deny the impact being locked up for the holidays had on these teens.
Jail’s a pretty isolating place. That’s one of the ideas. But in lockup they watched a lot of TV—that great purveyor…
Continue The Power of Spiritual Practice Behind Bars
Posted on December 14, 2011 at 5:00pm 0 Comments 0 Favorites
The Christian Science Monitor did an interesting story on yoga and meditation in jails and its effects on violence, something that we are all pretty aware of, but I always find it heartening when stories like this appear in the mainline press. It's a great reminder to the general reader that people locked up in our national jails are people capable of change and demanding of respect.
Comment Wall (3 comments)
- At 10:59am on December 2, 2011, Susan Austin said…
Hi David,
A bit topsy-turvy here, so the long time in responding. Glad to find you here. I look forward to checking out your wordpress blog as well. All the best.
- At 1:08pm on December 11, 2010,
joe mcinnes said… hello David, greetings to you from bonnie scotland! best wishes, joe
- At 3:23pm on November 13, 2009,
Kate Crisp (PDN Director) said… - Hello!
Thanks for joining the PDN community! We are looking forward to seeing your posted pictures, videos, blogs, discussion topics, etc. Please let me know if you have any questions about the site or check out the “Help” tab at the top of this page.
Welcome Aboard!
Kate Crisp, PDN Director
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With Fleet Maull September 10-27 Six Sessions, (Mondays & Thursdays for three weeks) Hope you can join us!Hours for the training are:7-9pm Eastern5-7pm Mountain Time4-6pm Pacific This program is…
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