About the Southern Arizona Prison Project

The Southern Arizona Prison Project is one of the many projects initiated by Geshe Michael Roach. It aims to teach Buddhist philosophy, meditation and yoga in prisons across the United States. The courses and accompanying materials are offered free of charge.

The project started in the Douglas State Prison, Arizona in 2001 and now includes Florence West, a privately run State Prison near Casa Grande, Arizona.

The program at Douglas was created as a model for expansion. There are 56 prisons throughout the United States in which Asian Classics Institute buddhist teacher training courses are being studied by inmates and it is the goal of this project that programs such as the one at Douglas be set up at each of these locations.