I Love New York: The Transformation of ‘Cocktail’

Meditation education, which was introduced to U.S. prisons in order to rehabilitate prisoners, has been more effective than expected. An example in the eastern state of New Hampshire was introduced in an article this spring, but I have also heard of a similar case in the western state of Oregon.

According to Mr. Blaze Compton, who is engaged in meditation training in Oregon, there was a violent inmate nicknamed “Cocktail” in the state penitentiary. He was very aggressive, causing more problems than any other inmate, and since he was dosed with seven different drugs in a sedative, it was an apt title.

Before starting meditation training, “Cocktail” was even shut up in a solitary confinement cell called “the hole,” but he showed a dramatic change after beginning meditation. Several weeks later, he had transformed into the most exemplary inmate in the penitentiary, and even “graduated” from his assignment in the solitary confinement cell — referred to as a “prison within prison.” Later on, he was rehabilitated to the point that he now works as an aid for a blind prisoner.

Meditation training rehabilitates the spirits of inmates who have betrayed society with murder, assault, rape, and so on. One honestly can’t help but be surprised by its effectiveness. But before inmates are actually rehabilitated, there will likely be hardships beyond description. I would like to express my sincerest respect for the single-minded work of Mr. Compton and his associates.