Home > Service > Prison Rehabilitation
Prison Rehabilitation
Based on Art of Living's unique stress management program, Prison SMART
stands for Prison Stress Management and Rehabilitation Training. The program
is customized to the needs of the prison inmates and to the individuals
and institutions that work to end the cycle of violence.
Prison SMART helps prisoners in rehabilitation and in reducing violence
and drug dependencies. It also teaches the inmates life skills that enable
them to accept responsibility for their past actions and to handle future
conflict and stressful situations successfully.
This innovative and results-oriented program serves inmates, residents
of halfway houses, those on parole and probation, at-risk youth, victims
of crime, law enforcement officers, corrections professionals and individuals
that deal with the aftermath of violence such as rape crisis centers,
shelters for battered women, runaway shelters and trauma victims of crime
and abuse.
Prison administrators have reported that inmates who have participated
in the program exhibit less aggressiveness and violent behavior in confrontational
situations and increased cooperation with staff.
The cornerstone of the program are the dynamic breathing techniques that
are part of the Art of Living Workshops. These release the accumulated
effects of stress from the nervous system and help participants manage
negative emotions in a safe and non-violent manner.
Reported benefits include:
- Improved sleeping patterns.
- Ability to accept responsibility for past actions.
- Ability to handle conflict and stressful situations non-violently.
- Improved confidence and self-control.
- By gaining the ability to handle stressful situations in a more calm and clear manner, participants finally gain control over their actions to make positive changes in their behavior and in their lives.
In India, more than 1,20,000 prisoners from prisons across the country
have undergone the Prison SMART program with spectacular results. In Tihar
Jail (Asia's largest prison) alone, around 4,400 convicts have benefited
from the program. Special courses have also been conducted for the prison
staff to cope with the stress owing to the nature of their job.
Copyright © 2005 Art of Living Foundation. All rights reserved.