The Seattle Post Intelligencer had an intersting story today, referred to NewsTrust by Bruce Brown, "Zen toolbox offers path to peace for prisoners ."
Robert Jamieson, Jr., reports that Dow Gordon has received the "Volunteer of the Year award for his work at Monroe Correctional Complex." Convicted for drugs, he spent time inside and came to appreciate the value of meditation and other techniques in curbing his anger and growing in self awareness. Now he works for the Freedom Project in Seattle and volunteers additional hours.
I worked in corrections and I'm glad to hear the story of someone who turned his life around and works to help others do likewise. I would have liked some information on the costs of incarceration, the recidivism rate for folks who participate in this project v.s. others and a link for the project. The information at the site is anecdotal. The reporter could have provided his readers with more facts, or barring that explained why those facts are unavailable. There was also no input from the other side of the argument, except in the comment section. If the reporter had raised these questions in his column he coudl have also provided Gordon, his organization and the prison an opportunity to address them.
