By Kate Olson for PBS, May 10, 2013

KATE OLSON, correspondent: For most of its 160 year history, San Quentin has been known as a tough place to do hard time. But over the past two decades, this has begun to change.

Thanks to thousands of engaged citizens…

Today as I approached the Supermax prison, overhead was a crystal clear bold blue sky, a gentle cool breeze enveloped me, and the razor wire glistened in the warm morning sun.  I felt settled and good as I entered the prison entrance and was met by my favorite correction officer who greeted me with a smile and…

By Shannon Dininny, Associated Press, May 12, 2013

Six inmates, each shackled and chained to a chair,…

Feelings of guilt and hopelessness can put extreme pressure on prisoners. In one German prison, inmates are discovering a new sense of calm with regular meditation that also prepares them for life on the outside.

By Jen Mulson for The Gazette, April 30, 2013

There are a handful of yogic paths, and karma yoga is known as that of selfless service.

I've met several yoga teachers this year who are practicing karma yoga in our local criminal justice system. They are teaching prisoners and…

This morning at the supermax was a study in contrasts.  Upon entering the prison there were two correction officers in uniform holding semi-automatic rifles. They were waiting to start their shift at one of the security towers. They cordially greeted me and I felt their warmth yet feared their…

One day at San Quentin State Prison, I was walking down the paved ramp towards the yard to my destination, the education building.  I like walking down this leisurely quiet route verses the stairway, which seems so abrupt and crowded. I admire the greenery on the side of…

Just wanted to share a story from one of our Path of Freedom participants here in Rhode Island about the recent Boston Marathon bombings.  This woman is in her 4th round of Path of Freedom and is serving time for "DUI-- Death Resulting" (a fairly common charge at Women's Minimum).  I will do my best to quote her…

I must say thank you to PDN for the inspiration to study and practice while I was in prison, and for the inspiration to continue these past 6 years while free.  Here is the link to my project "The Homeless Dharma Network":

http://homelessdharmanetwork.weebly.com

Stephen Conover (Sonam Dorje)

In 1959, the Chinese invasion of Tibet threw open the doors to the mysterious realm of Tibetan Buddhism and suddenly this rich, ancient tradition was propelled into the modern world. Half a century later, Padmasambhava’s prophecy has come true and the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism are found in every corner…

All my adult life I have wondered why I rarely meet men my own age. Once I left high school, the mystery deepened. The men I met were either older than I or younger. I remember my first day of working for the Post Office in 1986. I was twenty-nine. There was myself and another new hire, a man who remarkably was the same age as myself. I scrutinized his face, his hair, his skin. So this is what it looks like, I thought. How unusual. Over the 13 years I…

Here are some thoughts to start with, from a few years back...

The Hostile Effects of Prisons and "Treatment" Programs on Drug Addicts

I've been volunteering in Massachusetts prisons for over two years.  I started my voyage into the MA prison system by default.  A few years ago I was helping a meditation center organize some of its activity around various ways to reach out to the Boston area community offering meditation and community service as…

a prisoner's gift

the return

By Nicole Doll for KPTV Portland OR

Instructor Gina Kieval's Monday night yoga …

One of my meditation students decided to write an 8 page letter revealing many layers of feelings for his wife of 15 years. He admitted he only ever shared what he thought and not what he "felt".  He was extremely nervous about this vulnerable position he placed himself in and wanted very much to not shut down.  He was afraid he now handed over all the power to her.  I am praying that his courage pays off

I just got back from prison.

that phrase often surprises my friends..  what did You do now ko shin,  is one response....

nothing I say, I just sat!

that's what it is...a wonderful Sangha of men in a prison near my home...

today, two new members came, these wonderful Sangha seem so…

The following essay is by William Blake, who has been held in solitary confinement for nearly 26 years. Currently he is in administrative segregation at Elmira Correctional Facility, a maximum security facility located in south central New York State. In 1987, Blake, then 23 and in county court on a drug charge, murdered one deputy and wounded another in a failed escape attempt. He was sentenced to 77 years to life. …