AT PEACE ON THE ‘INSIDE’
Meditation for inmates
Put down the shiv, go sit in a corner and quietly chant.
Hardened criminals locked away in gritty city jails can now look forward to getting some inner peace through stress-reducing transcendental meditation classes, courtesy of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
The healing will begin as early as April for incarcerated “at risk” juvenile and adult inmates in addition to non-criminals including domestic-violence survivors and sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a notice in the city record.
“Transcendental meditation has been scientifically proven to reduce toxic stress, trauma and anxiety, negative behavior and depression, while also improving health and cognitive functioning,” the notice says.
“Moreover, the immediate and significant results are pervasive and can be used throughout life, improving physical and psychological health.”
The DA’s office is so convinced the treatment works that it’s willing to pick up the $140,000 annual tab, saying it will likely come from forfeiture funds obtained through settlements. The contract will last for two years with a one-year renewal option.
“Our office is exploring ways in which it may be used to assist incarcerated individuals, domestic- violence and human-trafficking survivors, trauma-service providers and other people who may benefit from this unique therapeutic tool,” DA spokeswoman Joan Vollero said.
Peace and wellness courses would be offered at the Manhattan Family Justice Center downtown and the DA’s Special Victim’s Bureau. Assistant district attorneys and other staff can also get in on the action by applying for practice seminars and training sessions. Under the proposed program, “certified TM teachers” would provide instruction to 100 “clients,” including defendants enrolled in alternative-to-incarceration programs, as well as “20 staffers.”
Staffers who work with clients who are at risk would be eligible for the course as part of an “antiburnout program.”
The Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association had mixed feelings about the initiative.
“If the intended purpose is to achieve a positive outcome by making the jails safer for everyone, then we’re all for it,” COBA President Elias Husamudeen said in a statement.
“However, if there is any at-risk population who are survivors of violence and living with posttraumatic stress, it is the over 600 correction officers who were assaulted in the city’s jails last year. We hope this program will provide them with much needed support as well,” Husamudeen added.