Natural Law Party
PO Box 589, Orewa, Auckland
Tel: (09) 426 4563 Fax: (09) 426 1254 E-mail: nlp@natlaw.org.nz

MEDIA RELEASE

Orewa. 17 November 1999

The teaching of Transcendental Meditation to prison inmates and to prison officers would be a fundamental aspect of a Natural Law Party government’s programme to reduce and eventually eliminate crime, says Mr Bryan Lee, the party’s leader.

“Research on this programme in maximum-security prisons in the United States has shown that it reduces hostility, improves behaviour, improves mental and physical health and reduces reconviction rates by at least 40 per cent,” said Mr Lee.

“This is achieved by alleviating stress in the prisoners and spontaneously training them to think and act increasingly in harmony with natural law -- to fulfil their desires in ways that support rather than damage the interests of others.

“The rehabilitation of offenders can be assessed through scientific measurement of their physiological, psychological and behavioural stability, verifying that they are able to lead productive and happy lives after their release,” Mr Lee said.

“The potential power of this programme was spectacularly illustrated by experience in the west African state of Senegal, where an initiative saw over 11,000 prisoners and 900 prison officers instructed in Transcendental Meditation. As a result, reconviction rates dropped from 90 per cent to less than eight per cent, reducing the prison population by half and closing many prisons.”

ENDS

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