A volunteer at Be’er Sheva Prison shares:
“Today, when I arrived at the prison, the educational officer who came to pick me up to take me to the cell block was excited to tell me: “A. was released this morning, earlier than expected”. I admit I don’t know everyone by their first name so it took me a minute to realize who […]
A volunteer at Be’er Sheva Prison shares:
I wanted to share a touching event that happened in the inmates’ meditation group a few weeks ago, when one of the inmates was guiding the meditation.D. was part of the meditation group from its very first days. At first he was very quiet, and shared nothing. But he faithfully arrived to all the meditation […]
A volunteer at Ma’asiyahu Prison shares:
When I entered the club some of the inmates were already waiting there. One of them was red with fury: “I’m going to bust them, how can this be, this shitty air- conditioner isn’t working. It’s so hot in here you could die, I’m going to go out of the meeting and call my lawyer, […]
A volunteer at Carmel Prison Shares:
I’ve been meeting with a group of inmates for the past six months. The group is made up of about ten regular inmates that belong to a program which uses Methadone as a drug substance. It was a rough start despite a lot of good intentions on my part and on their part. The participation […]
A volunteer at Ha’sharon Prison recounts:
I would like to share my experience teaching meditation at the Hasharon Prison. I was assigned a group of inmates from the rehabilitation ward who were taking part in the 12-step program. There, I encountered people who yearn to find a true place to rest. Above all, I make an effort to clarify that we […]
A volunteer at Carmel Prison recounts:
Yesterday when I arrived at the prison, I saw a large and beautiful butterfly lying motionless on a small tray on the education officer’s desk.“Is it alive?” I asked. “Yes, but it seems to be injured,” responded the officer, “we put it here so nobody would hurt it.”“May I take it with me to the […]
An Education Officer from a prison in central Israel shares:
The meditation groups are very important. Most prisoners are exposed to meditation for the first time in prison, and say that they would not have been otherwise exposed to this tool of their own initiative. Experiencing meditation expands their world and the issues that they deal with. Meditation helps them understand the body-mind connection, and […]
An Education Officer from a prison in the Sharon area shares:
Meditation is important as part of the prisoner rehabilitation program, particularly for addicts, because it enables internal observation, focusing attention, and distancing oneself from distractions. Meditation is mentioned as a therapeutic tool in most addiction rehabilitation programs, as part of the treatment. Addiction treatments, such as meditation, emphasize the development of self-awareness, inward observation, as […]
An Education Officer from a prison in south Israel shares:
Meditation groups are important because they provide inmates space for processing difficult mental states, for processing their treatment experiences, and is also a place to observe complex situations from their prison lives where they live under difficult conditions. The peace created within inmates through practicing meditation enables experiences to surface and allows inmates to deeply […]
An Education Officer from a prison in the Ramla area shares:
“Meditation is an inseparable part of the prisoners’ therapeutic process. It enables connection to one’s inner self, practicing inward listening as well as listening to others. We see that prisoners who take meditation practice seriously and connect to the workshops’ content show some behavioral change. They are more attentive to themselves and others.”