Transforming Incarcerated Juveniles

5 January 2007 -- Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

Since 2003, I have been spending my weekends teaching the Integrated Amrita Meditation Technique^® to people throughout America, mostly in private homes. Seven months ago, however I entered a completely different teaching environment: the Santa Fe Juvenile Detention Home in New Mexico. In June 2006 myself and three other Amma devotees began teaching weekly IAM for Organizations classes there.

While the juvenile inmates are not forced to participate in the IAM Technique class, it is mandatory for them to take part in a given number of organized activities each week. The IAM Technique is one of their options. Therefore, as the class is not completely voluntary, some of the youths sometimes act rebellious in the class.

For example, in a recent class one boy decided he would do push-ups instead of the prescribed relaxation exercises. Another boy said that he did not want to participate because "meditation is Buddhist". I have been going to the Detention Center weekly for nearly seven months, and still I often leave wondering if any of the youths have listened to one word I have said. However, we do notice that there is a palpable calm at the close of each meditation session.

So this week I asked one of the Detention Center's staff members whether he thought that the meditation was having any positive effects on the juveniles. He replied that "several of the boys in the class had been released from the facility recently". I was not sure he was answering my question. I then asked whether he believed that the releases were related to meditation. He said, "I think that meditation has helped them and yes, their releases are related to meditation". He further said, that he could see a difference in the behavior of the boys who were meditating, that they were more peaceful.

We were really surprised but felt good. Amma continues to repeat spiritual teachings to us but it seems that we do not hear Amma. Parents repeatedly give advice to their children, but their children act as if they did not hear it or it was not worth listening to. However, later parents find out that their children were actually absorbing the parent's advice and guidance. Likewise it seems that at least some of the youths are absorbing the IAM meditation practice.

Other youths have told us things that made us realize that they were actually receiving the positives of the Integrated Amrita Meditation Technique: "I did not care about anything in my life and had no confidence in myself and now since meditating, I care again about my life and have confidence"; "I feel more calm"; "I get a lot of energy".

We all look forward to the weekly IAM meditation at the Detention Center. It is profoundly satisfying to know that we can be instruments of Amma's grace and help make someone's life better.

Steve Schmidt

Meditation classes in prison

Meditation class schedules

IAM-Integrated Amrita Meditation Technique^® for organizations