Hi Joshua. Here's broiler-plate information about the Gay Men's Buddhist Prison Network. If you're interested you can join our yahoo group. It's just starting up. There are about 20 men involved in the project, writing to gay inmates, supporting their interest and Buddhist practice. Let me know what your interest is. We have a few people who live outside of the Bay Area in California involved in the project. You don't have to live in San Francisco. We are developing a starter kit to support people in their correspondence. I hope to hear from you. blessings. baruch
"We are a network of practicing Buddhists organized to provide support for gay inmates interested in beginning or deepening a Buddhist practice while incarcerated. We provide this support through regular correspondence and encouragement, books and literature, and referrals to other resources.

We also act as a network to support each other as we write to those in prison. We recognize that such correspondence presents its own set of challenges. There are precautions to be taken, though not many, that will benefit both parties and also foster a helpful and healthy pen-pal relationship. We provide guidelines, sample letters to share, and reprints of material that can be forwarded to inmate penpals.

We are of various schools and traditions in Buddhism, and are by no means teachers or spiritual leaders. We are simply friends of the Dharma (the teaching) who correspond with those interested in Buddhism while in prison. We believe that those on the inside and the outside of the walls can benefit from each other's practice as we correspond (co-respond).

Why do we do this? We recognize the special challenges and hardships that exist for anyone in prison who wishes to pursue a spiritual practice. We understand that spiritual development can be quite beneficial for those in prison, yet the prison environment and its restrictions often are not designed to be supportive of this growth.

We also realize that gay men in prison face additional challenges and safety risks, making their spiritual practice all the more important, yet more difficult.

While we are a group of 'penpals', our emphasis is on one's Buddhist practice. We do NOT develop romantic relationships with penpals, exchange photos, or provide money or other favors to help inmates get around the restrictions under which they live.

Our wish is that all beings will know happiness,
and the causes and conditions of happiness;
That all beings will be safe from harm, be healthy, be peaceful, and be loved.

Joshua:
Thanks for your feedback on my piece. I'll be posting more as soon as I get caught up with things. I post my Dharma talks on my Website, www.plummountain.org. But don't go there for a few days, I'm way behind in updating it.
As to practice, yes, that's my constant practice--not calling people names in my head... forgiving the cops...forgiving the sniches... forgiving George W.
Heart open; mouth shut,
/Kobai

Thank you for the friendship and the comment. I hope it goes well too!

hi joshua

thanks a lot for your answer. i realy need any advice i can get. my experience is with prisoners that are not drugs users, and i know there is a big diference. i will read soon the book by kevin griffin about 12 steps and buddhism, i am sure it will help me.
just yesturday in the group we talked about movement during meditation and how it is conect to our movement and reaction outside the meditation room.


hope to hear from you again

many regards

michal