An important part of Lozoff's work with prisoners is his philosophy of forgiveness and redemption. The socially sanctioned hatred and rage that we express toward criminals in modern times violates these timeless instructions. We are breaking a fundamental spiritual law, and the price we are paying for it is increased crime, violence, depravity, hopelessness, hatred, and rage. Many of the greatest saints and sages were once criminals, drunkards, prostitutes, and even killers. Saint Paul was once Saul of Tarsus, a vicious persecutor and killer of Christians.
Religious history is filled with such redeemed, transformed sages.
As we give up our belief in redemption and transformation, we become poorer indeed. His goal in life has been to help others realize the depth of their existence - and not just people behind bars, but also those of us living in prisons of our own making. Bo and Sita Lozoff currently live at Kindness House, a spiritual community they created on thirteen acres in central North Carolina. They have received numerous humanitarian awards, including the Temple Award for Creative Altruism from the Institute for Noetic Sciences. Last year, Bo was given an honorary doctorate by the Chicago Theological Society, one of the oldest divinity schools in the nation.