IAHV Prison Program- Freedom from within
Prisoner rehabilitation program
The Art of Living Prison Program is a comprehensive program of breathing practices, including the Sudarshan Kriya (SKY) breathing technique, which has been the subject of independent investigation and research in hospitals, prisons and institutions worldwide. The following are measurable benefits which have been demonstrated by these research studies.
The benefits of the programs are:
1. Improved immunity and physical well-being
2. Reduced crime in society
3. Better mutual understanding among prisoners
4. Reduced depression and anxiety
5. More camaraderie between prisoners & staff
6. Removal of tendency to seek revenge & feelings of guilt
7. Normalized sleep patterns
8. Freedom from traumatic scars of the past
“Inside every culprit there is a victim crying for help. When you heal the victim, the culprit disappears.”
-Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
THE ART OF LIVING PRISON PROGRAM - GLOBAL REACH
IMPACT
1. Self-control
71% said they are better at controlling their temper
70% said they have reduce desire for alcohol and drugs
2. Stress and emotions
84% said they are relaxed
68% said they are hopeful about the future
3. Behavioral health
62 % said I am not easily irritated
62 % said I can cope with the challenges
RESEARCH
1) Reduced anger and violence
A 2005 study of 604 prisoners in the Taipei Tu-Chen Detention Centre, Taiwan, found that 86% of prisoners felt an improvement with regard to their anger. 21-38% less fights, incidents and disciplinary actions were reported by a study at Los Angeles County Lancaster Probation Camp.
2) Reduced levels of stress
A study of the Slovenian Ministry of Internal Affairs on the anti-stress programs for police showed that the program was efficient in improving the ability of the staff to handle stressful situations in the prisons.
3) Reduced depression
There is an increased risk of self-harm and suicide within prisons. The prison staff has reported that self-harm and suicides had fallen post the Prison Programs. The breathing techniques have been shown to have a success rate of 68-73% in treating clinical depression, regardless of severity. Substantial relief was experienced within three weeks of doing the Prison Programs.
4) Improved quality of life
80% of the inmates reported an improvement in sleep as a result of the Prison Programs.
