O.C. RESIDENT FINDS ANSWER TO PRISON REHABILITATION
Dan Millstein's Visions for Prisons performs hands-on prison
workshops that really help at a cost of about $27 per prisoner!

COSTA MESA, CALIF., It is well known that taxpayers are upset with the rising crime rate. Crime and the fear of crime effects everyone in every small town and neighborhood. Prison overcrowding is causing officials to release prisoners before their time to make room for sometimes less violent or non-violent offenders. Rehabilitation of prisoners is a myth. Many prisons treat prisoners inhumanely, or with such disdain, that the released prisoners feel more separate and more angry when let out then when he/she was arrested. There are no safety valves, prisoners are released to the streets with no new skills for living more productive lives.

An Orange County resident has developed a program that could change this present, out-of-control trend. Since 1988 Dan Millstein's non-profit volunteer organization, Visions for Prisons, has been working with prisoners to reduce the likelihood of prisoners returning to a life of crime and incarceration when released.

How does he do it? Millstein combines deep meditation, stress management and Attitudinal Healing support groups to regenerate a sense of spirituality and societal connectedness to help prisoners change their ways of thinking so they can change their lives. Millstein travels the country giving seminars in both federal, state and youth prisons and training other volunteers to work his program in their community prisons along with his working in our own local prisons every week and week-end.

While the concepts of Attitudinal Healing and deep meditation may sound suspiciously like just 'touchy-feely' redirect, the results speak for themselves: 80% of the prisoners who have attended Millstein's seminars, and continue the practices he teaches, do not return to prison. Attitudinal Healing Centers operate internationally in hot spots such as Croatia and Russia and teams of volunteers were dispatched to Oklahoma City within hours of the bombing there.

Attitudinal Healing and meditation are widely accepted as tools for healthier ways of coping in various 'communities' from cancer recovery to business applications. The Visions for Prisons program is unique in that it combines the two modalities. Many of Millstein's students have become model prisoners and teachers participating in hospices, suicide watches, officiating athletic events and tutoring illiterate prisoners.

"We attempt to teach prisoners ways that they can make healthy choices which help them to love themselves and others," said Millstein, "and we attempt to follow them upon their release and encourage them to continue with their newly discovered practices."

"I have no delusions about prison reform or changing the multi-billion dollar prison system. This is a self-help program that some prisoners and many prisons will not embrace. We are just taking it one prison and one prisoner at a time. Inexpensive and practical rehabilitation curriculum is possible.", Millstein explained.

Statistics show that almost 1.5 million men and women are incarcerated in this country, the highest rate per capita in the world, at the taxpayer cost of more than it would cost to send each prisoner to Harvard! (Between $20,000 & $40,000 per year and over $100,000 in some medical and some high security institutions.)

Millstein does not claim to have discovered a panacea for all of our crime related social problems, but here is a ray of hope, surely missing, in this dark, hidden and ignored world of prisons.

The following are excerpts from letters written by prisoners who have attended Millstein's seminars:

"After attending your seminar and reading your newsletter I have a few questions. Who are you people? Don't you know that you are supposed to hate me? What's the idea of loving me even though I'm a con? Are you trying to give me hope, shatter my old way of thinking, show me some compassion, help me? You guys must be nuts. I think I love you."- Utah State Prison

"I had long ago exhausted any hope of giving my prison experience a positive slant. Now I can see my growth every week thanks to my 'practice' of meditation and the safety I find in our group. I'm getting to know myself as a positive person."- Midwest women's prison.

Millstein's Visions for Prisons was the recipient of the 1995 International Jampolsky Award for it's innovative service in prisons, utilizing the principles of Attitudinal Healing. In 1994 he traveled to Croatia to help begin programs aimed at the 100's of thousands refugees from the war in Bosnia. Visions for Prisons operates as a non-profit organization and is supported by Millstein himself and individual donations. They do not charge the prisons.

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HEALING SEPARATION IN PRISON

Visions for Prisons has two basic missions, one global and one interpersonal:

Our global mission is to bring ethnic and religious factions together, within the confines of individual prisons, as community models of non-violence, by facilitating and supporting common interest groups which are seeking peace through understanding and education.

To these ends we offer conflict/mediation training, anger management and family/parenting workshops to prisoners and staff. We also offer 'burn-out' prevention training for prison counselors and correctional officers.

Our interpersonal mission is to guide prisoners on a path of personal evolution through education in meditation and non-denominational spiritual development and to facilitate emotional well being using the principles of Attitudinal Healing.

Prisoners are offered voluntary access to workshops, books and tapes, a newsletter and Attitudinal Healing support groups at no cost to them or the prisons.

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5 YEAR PLAN TO EXPAND SEVICES

These programs will be supplimental to, and not meant to replace, any present
functions in which Visions for Prisons is now engaged.

To report and share statistics on prison populations, demographics & trends
via internet, newsletters and on demand to non-profit organizations involved in making changes in human rights and prison reform.
100 hours

To document and report on innovative prison programs that are cost effective and repeatable.
52 hours

To maintain a list of the afore mentioned programs to be distributed to interested parties including prison administrators.
13 hours

To document innovative prison programs that have been started by volunteers, administrators and prisoners and to award and recognize those programs through publicity and/or actual awards.
200 hours

To maintain a rating of prisons as to the progressiveness of their programs. Based on mind(education), body(health), spiritual/religious and emotional/psychological program access by prisoners.
100 hours

Maintain a Who's Who's of prison innovators, administrators & chaplains.
40 hours

*Maintain a Who' Who of civil rights, and other, attorneys and organizations.

*Possibly review current laws the could effect prisons and their population.

*Possibly maintain a post release resource directory for referrals.

Become a resource for volunteer organization to help with material needs such as computers, office space, etc.; maintain a help-wanted bulletin board; offer support with volunteer personnel burn-out problems (a specialty service).
100 hours

*Under consideration. These services may be duplications and if so we would refer to the present, in place organizations.