March 2008 Blog Posts (6)

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Study Shows Compassion Meditation Changes the Brain

Can we train ourselves to be compassionate? A new study suggests the answer is yes. Cultivating compassion and kindness through meditation affects brain regions that can make a person more empathetic to other peoples' mental states, say researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.



Published March 25 in the Public Library of Science One, the study was the first to use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to indicate that positive emotions such as loving-kindness and… Continue

Added by Erin Ferguson on March 27, 2008 at 3:37pm — No Comments

Florida Prison Retreat

From KC Walpole:

"Greetings:



Hope this finds y’all in good spirits. Attached are the photos from the first interfaith retreat at Lawtey CI. there are five men that were on other details when the photos were taken. Can not help but say the photos speak for themselves. Three days on the cushion with the lunch meal delivered by the mess hall. Essentially, it broke down into two three hour sitting periods broken by an hour for lunch and… Continue

Added by Kate Crisp (PDN Director) on March 25, 2008 at 3:52pm — 2 Comments

San Quentin's self-rehab: Healing on the Inside

San Quentin, Calif. - When he stands, Gerry Harris towers over everyone in the room. He's bald, with a salt-and-pepper beard that climbs to his temples and big, almost square glasses. His presence is gentle, even when he's agitated, which he is now. "Three minutes," he tells the men in the room. "I can't account for three minutes. I might never get them back."

They are the three minutes between when Mr. Harris, an elementary school teacher,… Continue

Added by Erin Ferguson on March 21, 2008 at 6:00pm — No Comments

Louisiana Justice. Cruel and Unusual.

Dear Friends,

For 35 years, Jim Crow justice in Louisiana has kept Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox locked in solitary confinement for a murder everyone knows they didn't commit.



More info.



Despite overwhelming evidence of their innocence, the 2 remaining "Angola 3" prisoners (one has been exonerated) spend 23 hours each day in 6 x 9 cells at Angola--the… Continue

Added by Erin Ferguson on March 20, 2008 at 3:05pm — No Comments

At The Death House Door documentary

Hey folks -



I wanted to take a moment to tell you all about a great new film that examines the death penalty in America.



Directed by a friend of mine, Steve James (who also directed the highly acclaimed "Hoop Dreams"), "At The Death House Door" is an incredibly moving documentary about the death penalty system in America.



I was privileged to go to a private screening of this film recently and it was just amazing.



There is a trailer available online… Continue

Added by Sam DeWitt on March 17, 2008 at 5:56pm — No Comments

Featured Member of the Month: Matthew Tenney

Matthew Tenney is a former prisoner who founded the True Freedom Foundation.



What do you find most rewarding about your Prison Dharma work?



The most rewarding aspect of the work of the True Freedom Foundation (truefreedomfoundation.org ) is receiving letters from prisoners who express how awareness is changing their lives. Whether the changes are big, like, "Wow, I have finally found peace," or small, "I notice I… Continue

Added by Kate Crisp (PDN Director) on March 7, 2008 at 4:11pm — 8 Comments

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