Prisoners make their way alone through some very rough terrain with very little guidance, but they are driven by the immediacy of their homelessness and pain. To teach in this environment is to encounter your own mind in a most vivid way. The result is a mutual dharmic project between the teachers and the prisoners. Sometimes everything clicks and we see the power of the practice happening before our eyes. Occasionally someone softens.
People stumble often.
Sometimes everyone gets the humor, including the teachers. The atmosphere changes from moment to moment. I've never walked away from a prison visit without thinking that something worthwhile had occurred. Comparing notes with other teachers in the program, this seems to be a common theme. Current teachers in the NCCI Prison Dharma Program are Wayne Schoech, Roger Guest, Terry Colosi and Jim Colosi.