In an "Open Letter to the Buddhist Community" not too long ago, Bo and Sita Lozoff, founders of Kindness House and authors of We?re All Doing Time, made an appeal to the many Buddhist organizations that offer wonderful resources while people are incarcerated, but provide no resources when they are released from prison. They wrote:"When we extend Dharma friendship to people inside, that friendship needs to mean something when they come up for parole or release and haven't a clue as to how to create a meaningful, compassionate life." They said they spent countless hours on the telephone and the Internet searching for any Buddhist organization willing to sponsor post-release inmates; they found none.
In response to this appeal, TGPM contacted Bo and Sita and began the formation of Bodhi House the first Buddhist residence of its kind in the United States for men released from prison.
In January 2004, TGPM began Bodhi House as a Buddhist residence for people coming directly from prison. It is designed to serve as a place to live, to help locate possible jobs, and to provide a modest re-entry plan to a network of Buddhist practitioners and friends. The plan for Bodhi House is based on a lifestyle of simple living, spiritual practice and unselfish service. It also serves as a parole plan for people who wish to strengthen their daily practices and participate in a Buddhist residence that requires daily Refuge in the Triple Gem and a commitment to the Five Precepts.
As the first Buddhist residence for men released from prison in the United States, Bodhi House has provided home and work plans for INS detainees from Southeast Asia who have no family or residence in the United States. Through the work of TGPM, these INS detainees have been released, and Bodhi House provided the means for their release from continued imprisonment. In the Summer of 2004, the first long term post-release Buddhist residents arrived at Bodhi House. TGPM continues to receive requests for residency from Buddhist inmates currently studying under TGPM and preparing for parole.
As more Buddhist inmates are released from prison everyday, we have discovered that the need for re-entry residential programs similar to Bodhi House is enormous.
