A few weeks ago I attended a talk by Dr. Fleet Maull. Dr. Maull is an author, certified mindfulness teacher, and social activist who founded the Prison Mindfulness Insititute. However, one unique fact about him was he had to serve a fourteen-year prison sentence for drug smuggling. He was originally from St. Louis, and his life was forever changed from his experiences inside the prison. When he first arrived to prison there was no real religion course or area for people to express and practice their faith. The way he grew the program from nothing to something so large was very impressive and showed how passionate he was about his beliefs. In his talks with us he told us what it was like to practice Buddhism inside the prison, and how mass incarceration is more of a policy failure than a moral failure. He did mention how recently there have been some reforms, but not nearly as many as he thinks are necessary. He also mentioned how he really enjoys going on retreats and sharing his life experiences with others around the world. After hearing his talks I definitely have a different outlook on both the prison system and the individuals inside them. 
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