“Nobody felt safe;
the prisoners weren’t safe,
the staff weren’t
safe...
A radical idea
began to spread:
maybe meditation
could help.”
Psychotherapist
Jenny Phillips describes how the tranquility of ancient Buddhist
meditation at a maximum-security correctional facility helps prisoners
emerge from a rigorous VIPASSANA program with a renewed self-image and a
greater sense of personal responsibility.
Cultural anthropologist, writer and psychotherapist Jenny Phillips has
been working in the field of mental health for more than 15 years. Much
of her work has been with male prisoners, teaching inmates courses on
emotional literacy and VIPASSANA meditation, an ancient meditation
technique based on the teachings of Buddha. Her work has helped
inmates—many serving multiple life sentences—transform their lives, face
their pasts and become more peaceful, purposeful people.
In 2008, Jenny released the self-produced documentary The Dhamma Brothers, which followed 36 prisoners at the Donaldson Correctional Facility in Alabama through a 10-day silent vipassana meditation course. Her book Letters from the Dhamma Brothers: Meditation Behind Bars
is a collection of letters and interviews from inmates who took part in
the meditation course. The book depicts prison life and the journey
many of the prisoners took to better understanding the teachings of
Buddha and achieving inner peace.
Jenny has doctorate in anthropology from Boston University and is currently researching a book—along with her husband, journalist Frank Phillips—on author Ernest Hemingway's 22 years in Cuba. Jenny's grandfather, Maxwell Perkins, was a legendary book editor and close friend of Hemingway's.
Jenny has doctorate in anthropology from Boston University and is currently researching a book—along with her husband, journalist Frank Phillips—on author Ernest Hemingway's 22 years in Cuba. Jenny's grandfather, Maxwell Perkins, was a legendary book editor and close friend of Hemingway's.
