"One of the most sensitive expressions of hope...that I have seen in my career in criminal justice." Scott Harshbarger, former Attorney General of Massachusetts

The Dhamma Brothers tells a dramatic tale of human potential and transformation as it closely follows and documents the stories of the prison inmates who enter into this arduous and intensive program. This film, with the power to dismantle stereotypes about men behind prison bars also, in the words of Sister Helen Prejean (Dead Man Walking), "gives you hope for the human race."



Grade Level: 10-12, College, Adult
US Release Date: 2008     Copyright Date: 2007
DVD ISBN: 1-59458-775-2     VHS ISBN: 1-59458-774-4

Reviews "The Dhamma Brothers is one of the most sensitive expressions of hope, capacity for change, and potential vehicles for institutional health that I have seen in my career in criminal justice. Inmates serving long sentences in one of the country's toughest state prisons experience the liberating effects of the Vipassana meditation program. The filmmakers provide a dramatic example of a safe and healthy correctional environment, not only for the inmates but also for the correction officers and all the people who must work within these institutions. The Dhamma Brothers points to an effective reentry program for even the most serious offenders in our society. Through the film we realize that inmates can accept responsibility for serious crimes, and attempt to engage in personal change even though it will not enable them to be released." Scott Harshbarger, former Attorney General of Massachusetts and senior counsel, Proskauer Rose LLP "The stories of the Dhamma Brothers ring with the truth and power of their experiences, and offer the hope for renewal and rehabilitation within a dismal and punishment-oriented correctional system. It gives you hope for the human race." Sister Helen Prejean, author, Dead Man Walking and recipient, 1996 Pax Christi Pope Paul VI Teacher of Peace Award "This is an absolutely compelling story of an astonishing treatment program with prison inmates that, against all odds, actually worked. The leaders of the program and the correctional officials open a door to the hearts and minds of a violent prison population, allowing us to see them at intimate range, while at the same time producing a remarkably positive influence on the atmosphere of the prison as a whole." Doris Kearns Goodwin, author, No Ordinary Time and Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln "An inspiring event of personal transformation through meditation in inmates at a maximum security prison. It will inspire everyone by the compelling story of personal growth in the harshest of conditions." Richard Davidson, Director, Wisconsin Center for Affective Science, and Center for Mind-Body Interaction, University of Wisconsin "In the Civil Rights Movement, we used the wisdom of India and Mohandas Gandhi, to create a discipline and philosophy of non-violence that would meet the needs of the American landscape. The Dhamma Brothers have taken their own passage to India and discovered a practice of meditation that guides them down their inner path toward freedom. Those of us who accept the philosophy of non-violence believe there is a spark of divinity within all of us. This film makes it plain that no human being - no matter how troubled his beginning, regardless of his race, color, nationality, or creed - should be considered beyond the reach of redemption. No one should be tossed away in a jail cell and forgotten as though their lives mean nothing. This film demonstrates that all some people need - even those we might consider the worst among us - is to be led toward their path to recovery, and when they are restored, their contribution to our society and the world is limitless." Representative John Lewis, Georgia Congressman "I found the film very interesting, in no small part because we hear from inmates at Donaldson all the time and know what a troubled facility it is...The message of the film with regard to the value of the mediation program to the individual inmates as well as the prison is a very important one and was communicated very well. The interviews with the inmates were excellent and certainly brought home Bryan Stevenson's message that a person is much more than the worst thing they ever did. The two leaders of the mediation program were very articulate in describing it and obviously very committed to Vipassana and to the prisoners. It was valuable to see the skepticism regarding to the program of the warden and corrections officers and their later reactions to it...I am very grateful for the opportunity to see the film." Stephen Bright, President, Southern Center for Human Rights, J. Skelly Wright Fellow, Yale Law School "The Dhamma Brothers poignantly demonstrates the resiliency of the prisoners who participated in a 10-day silent retreat in the prison's gym. It expertly interweaves the stories of a few prisoners in a way that helps us understand the causes and conditions of crime and punishment. We are fortunate to witness the deep desire for healing and change that brings the men to their first Vipassana orientation. The documentary does a great deal to un-do the demonization of men in prison that runs so deeply in popular culture. It reintroduces the notion of rehabilitation in an era of retribution and retaliation. As participants move through their introduction to Vipassana and later work to maintain their practice in the face of prison administrators' ban, we see the struggle of all humans to live a life consistent with our values and to move deeper in our understanding of ourselves." Ed Mead, Founder of Prison Art Project, Organizer of Men Against Sexism at Walla Walla, Co-founder of Prison Legal News, Co-editor of Prison Focus Magazine "Prisoners sitting together, meditating? For years stories have circulated about prisons in India that were transformed through the use of Vipassana meditative disciplines. Now, in this documentary, you can see how it was implemented here in the US in, of all places, an Alabama prison, resulting in lives that indeed seem changed. This documentary provides a service by introducing this approach to an American audience. It also helps to challenge popular assumptions about prisoners and their ability to change [and] may also help to counter the punitive approach to justice that is prevalent in American attitudes." Howard Zehr, Professor, Sociology and Restorative Justice, Co-director, Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, Eastern Mennonite University, 2006 Community of Christ International Peace Award recipient "The idea that 'nothing works' to rehabilitate prisoners is widespread, even though the researcher who penned that phrase later retracted it and ample research shows that a wide variety of programs produce positive results when properly matched with inmates' needs. The Dhamma Brothers provides an excellent example. The focus is rightly on the inmates - the childhoods, crimes and reflections - but the prison officials provide important context by discussing the problems of prison as warehouse. Ultimately, The Dhamma Brothers should not be seen as a documentary of a curious and unique event; it should be seen as a proof of concept and incitement for every state that sees itself at least as progressive and innovative as Alabama." Dr. Paul Leighton, Professor of Criminology, Eastern Michigan University, www.StopViolence.com "[The Dhamma Brother's] eloquent testimony of newly discovered self-acceptance and awareness is a powerful argument for the transformative nature of meditation." Library Journal "Recommended for public or academic libraries collection materials about Buddhist meditation, corrections, and criminal rehabilitation." Jessica Schomberg, Minnesota State University, Educational Media Reviews Online "The word for `Enlightenment' in the Asian traditions is `mukti' or `moksha' which means freedom or liberation. If you thought taking a meditation technique that aims at such an enlightenment to prisoners in jails was a bit too literal, you would be wrong. For, the film The Dhamma Brothers captures brave attempts by the prisoners that even the unimprisoned would find difficult to carry out...Useful for students in psychology, sociology, law, cognitive science, Eastern philosophy and related disciplines." Sushumna Kannan, Centre for the Study of Culture and Society, Bangalore, India, Anthropology Review Online "The Dhamma Brothers is not just the story of a prison program, but also the human ability to accept responsibility for the most terrible of offenses. Ultimately an inspirational chronicle of hope, The Dhamma Brothers is highly recommended as an example of how meditative discipline can harness the positive side of the human spirit even in the most unlikely of places." The Midwest Book Review "An inspiring film about the potential for change in even the most seemingly incorrigible of human beings, this is highly recommended." Video Librarian