Since 2004, The Art of Living’s Prison Smart Program has found its roots in five correctional facilities of Taiwan as a way of rehabilitating the inmates.

The Tucheng Detention Center offers a five-day course each month with an average of 60 participants per course, reaping the benefits of stress relief techniques taught by The Art of Living teachers.

Similarly, the Taichung Detention Center began offering bi-monthly courses with an average of 100 participants per course. Around 2,000 detainees had successfully completed the course by the end of 2006.

The result: Over 80 per cent of the participants have reported deep physical and psychological healing. Feelings of fear and anger have reduced significantly and there is a new-found sense of centeredness and stability.

In June 2010, a paroled inmate upon release from the Kaohsiung Women’s Penitentiary proactively approached the warden of the facility to recommend the Prison Smart Program to all the inmates, allowing them to have a chance at revival and rehabilitation.