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Ethics and the Incarcerated
 In 2004 James and John, inmates in the Mark
W. Stiles Unit of the Texas Department of
Corrections in Beaumont, TX were exploring
Buddhism and ethics. Having shared the
book Ethics for the New Millennium by His
Holiness the Dalai Lama they sought to take
the concepts from the book and integrate
them into the prison environment. In 2004
James first contacted the Dalai Lama Foundation
inquiring about the study guide and was
provided with study guides and workbooks for
the text. Around that same time James and
John approached Chaplain Terry Conrad at
the correctional unit to seek approval to form
a study group. As James said ìI suppose it is
true: all good things come to those with patience
and perseverance.î In July of 2007
the Religious Practice Committee in Huntsville
approved the class as a life changes course
allowing up to 16 weeks of study.
 Each Wednesday morning Chaplain Conrad
leads the group in discussions of the text and
the book. One of the inmate facilitators will
take the chosen chapterís key concepts and
orchestrate group interaction, discussions and
questions. Facilitators take the time to goad
participants towards prison-centric issues that
are particularly relevant to prison culture.
Class leader Chaplin Conrad states that ìIf
the way the class is going so far is any indication,
it can be of tremendous benefit to inmates,
and others, everywhere.î Last week
John was the facilitator for the session. He
devised an exciting group exercise to elicit
varying perspectives regarding the antidotes
to afflictive emotions.
James and John, along with
Chaplin Conrad, wish to get
word of their work out to
other inmates and other correctional
facilities. Their goal
is to eventually take the
workbook and develop their
own version for use in other correctional facilities.
They want to take the key concepts
in the original study guide and build new and
provoking questions that are more pertinent
to the prison environment and offender issues.
If you want to know how you can help, or are
interested in finding out more about the program
and how it could be implemented in
other correctional institutions, please contact
Chaplain Conrad by email.
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