Prison Program
We believe that every person who had to resort to crime should be given an opportunity to change and start living a meaningful life. The Art of Living Prison Program is designed for both; those who are incarcerated in prisons and those who serve in the criminal justice system.
This program has transformed lives by teaching skills that reduce stress, healing trauma, and providing practical methods of dealing with negative emotions.
The program helps prisoners and people with a history of violence to break out of the regressive cycle of crime.
Working with various prison authorities and armed forces, we have conducted programs for over 800 thousand inmates so far worldwide. Many inmates whose lives we touched have now become teachers of the Art of Living programs and working alongside us to bring a positive change in society.
In Kenya, Art of Living foundation has got permission to conduct the Prison Smart courses in the all the Kenyan prisons.
Impact in Kenya
There are 97 prisons in Kenya. So far in Kenya, 1200 inmates have benefited from the Prison Smart program in 7 institutions. Thika Women’s prison, Langata Women’s prison, Kamiti Maximum and Kamiti Medium security prison in Kiambu, Jamhuri prisons Kisumu medium, Hindi Prison in Lamu and Nairobi Remand maximum security prison. Each inmate has had life transforming experiences. Many of whom have stated, the experience for them was quite amazing and very profound.
The inmates experiences, while participating in the training, has had the positive effect of giving them a sense of happiness, contentment and joy, in-spite of their surroundings and situation. A few, who have been suffering from insomnia have felt they can now ‘sleep like babies’ without suffering from nightmares, others have said, they have felt a great improvement in their health. They now have a vision and mission towards life and society once they leave prison and would like to make a fresh beginning once more, without the anger and the stress and thoughts of vengeance or violence.
The officers at the prisons are very happy with the change of behavior and attitude of the prison inmates. It has made it much easier for the Wardens & the Officers in charge to handle the prisoners. And hence have requested the Art of Living Organization in Kenya, to conduct many such programs, for the benefit of the inmates and the wardens and officers.
Art of Living teachers (Sonal Nagda & Paul Kamuyu) at the Kamiti, Maximum Security prisons.
Jamhuri Prisons in Nairobi
Jamhuri prison with short term sentence. All the prisoners were released after the course with the president’s instructions as it was Hero’s day (Mashujaa) celebration… Amazing they were so happy to have done the course.
Langata Women’s Maximum prison in Nairobi
Prison course at the Kamiti Maximum
Prison course at Nairobi Remand.