For three years, dozens of inmates have sought to deal with the anger and solitude of the bleak locale through the guidance of a Buddhist chaplain.
Inmate Joshua Silva who is serving time for robbery told the Los Angeles Times for a Sunday story that the guided meditations offer him "a way to go beyond these bars."
Members of a local Zen center suggested the course and serve as volunteer teachers.
Buddhist chaplain Gary Janka says there was resistance from other religious leaders at the jail, saying he heard that empty minds meant "the devil will rush in." But Janka says he assuaged fears by inviting in a specialist in Christian meditation, and the course has been embraced.
Source: Mercury News
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