Does meditation really help inmates?
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In this Jan. 18, 2011 photo, inmates at William E. Donaldson prison in Bessemer, Ala., return to their cells after completing meditation classes. Vipassana is a meditative technique that dates back 2,500 years to Gotama Buddha. Vipassana courses are held four times a year in the prison gymnasium, where as many as 40 inmate volunteers meditate 10 hours a day and live for the duration. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
Mindfulness meditation helps many people deal with stress, and other mental health issues. But when researchers tried mindfulness with prisoners, they had mixed results and some negative impact. In their weekly conversation, WHYY’s Maiken Scott and psychologist Dan Gottlieb discuss the findings.
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