Austin Buddhist Prison Projects

Resources for Volunteers

TDCJ Training.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice requires that all volunteers in one of their facilities submit an application and participate in a training seminar. The application, mailed to Huntsville, requires a background check. They approve nearly everybody, even with criminal records, everybody except people who might be in danger... like retired cops, who might meet up with someone they got locked up, for example]. TDCJ then sends you a "letter" that you have been approved to take the training in the prison where you want to volunteer. These letters may take weeks to come. They include, in the envelope with the letter, a Schedule of Trainings in the whole State for the next year. The "trainings" happen six times a year and rotate between prisons in your area. So for example, there might be a training at Travis Unit in March and May and one in Lockhart in April and June. YOU MUST BRING THE LETTER, but you can have the training in any TDCJ unit. The "trainings" are usually done in an afternoon, usually a Saturday, by the Capt. in charge of education or the Chaplain, and they take from 2-4 hours. After this training you are cleared to volunteer in any TDCJ prison in Texas. Call the prison before you go to make sure they have not canceled the training you are planning to attend. Arrive with the letter and train to
your heart's content. Following this, you can enter the prison. It will probably take about six weeks before you are cleared, so this entire process is good for your practice.

Buddhist Prison Projects Training.

Pitfalls when Arriving at Prisons.

Each prison has a list of folks they expect on any given day. If you are not on the list, you won't get in. Generally the coordinator for the project will be responsible for determining who will participate as volunteers and for communicating that to the prison staff.

If you are not dressed according to the rules in that prison, you won't get in. Common requirements are:

• Shoes, not sandals.
• No shorts or short skirts.
• No tee-shirts, no shirts without collars.

If there is a lock-down before you arrive, you won't get in. In theory, if there is a lock-down while you are there, you won't get out!!!!! Actually, that has yet to happen (at the time of this writing, February, 2005) in the Austin Buddhist Prison Projects.

Books and Periodicals

Kobai Scott Whitney, Sitting Inside: Buddhist Practice in America's Prisons. Prison Dharma Network, 2003.

Bo Lozoff, We're All Doing Time: A Guide for Getting Free. Human Kindness Foundation, 2001.

Jorge Antonio Renaud, Behind the Walls: A Guide for Families and Friends of Texas Prison Inmates. University of North Texas Press, 2002.

Javis Jay Masters, Finding Freedom: Writings from Death Row. Padma Publishing, 1997.

Tracking Inmates in Texas

A common problem in corresponding with Texas inmates is losing track of an inmate when (s)he is relocated. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) can run a status search on an offender currently incarcerated or on parole within the TDCJ system to determine location or parole status.

To find out an offender's status you may call the following numbers.

Offender Information Line  800-535-0283 (toll free only for calls made from within Texas. Ask for parole status or offender location)
Automated system answers 24 hours per day; offices open 8am-5pm Monday thru Friday
Offender Parole Status Line-Austin, direct # 512-406-5202
Offender Parole Status Line-Huntsville, direct # 936-291-2106
Offender Locator Line-All TDCJ Units, 936-295-6371

You will need to know the offender's name and 7-digit TDCJ number or their full name, date of birth or social security number, and county of conviction.

Inquiries concerning previous convictions and sex offender registration should be directed to the Texas Department of Public Safety (main headquarters: 5805 North Lamar, Austin, TX 78752  telephone (512) 424-2000). The DPS website is located at http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/

If you are unable to use the Offender Status Line you may e-mail the TDCJ webmaster at questions@tdcj.state.tx.us and make sure to provide the name and offender's 7-digit TDCJ number or their full name, date of birth (or approximate age), and county of conviction. Please state if your question is parole-related.

References on Meditation and Recidivism

Can Meditation Solve The Crime Problems In Prisons? (html)

Om and Meditation (html)

The Effects of Vipassana Meditation and Other Rehabilitation Programs on Alchohol and Drug Relapse and Criminal Recidivism (pdf)

Links to Buddhist Prison Groups

Engaged Zen Foundation: Buddhist Prison Ministry

Buddhist Peace Fellowship: Prison Project

Gateless Gate Prison Project

Human Kindness Foundation: Prison-Ashram Project

Insight Prison Project

Prison Dharma Network

Zen Mountain Monastery: National Buddhist Prison Sangha

Angulimala: Buddhist Prison Chaplaincy Organisation (UK)

Shambhala Prison Community. The Shambhala Prison Community provides a variety of supports to prison residents, including correspondence, courses in Buddhism, and literature.  They may be contacted at (720) 565-1352, or 1345 Spruce Street, Boulder, Colorado 80302.

Upaya Prison Project

Gassho: (publication for prisoners of Atlanta Soto Zen Center)

Vipassana Meditation Courses for Correctional Facilities

Naljor Prison Dharma Service. Many links and contact information for other resources.

Buddhist Prisoners' Outreach. In Texas, particularly active in connecting Buddhist penpals.