NCJ Number
59174
Date Published
1973
Length
7 pages
Annotation
THIS PAPER OUTLINES THE RESULTS OF A PILOT PROJECT IN WHICH TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION (TM) WAS EXAMINED AS A TECHNIQUE FOR INMATE REHABILITATION.
Abstract
IN THE FIELD OF CORRECTIONS AND REHABILITATION, OVER 100 YEARS OF RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENTATION HAVE YIELDED FEW, IF ANY, TREATMENT OR REHABILITATION TECHNIQUES THAT EFFECTIVELY REDUCE THE HOSTILE AND AGGRESSIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF INMATE POPULATIONS AND CRIMINALS ON THE STREET. IN THIS STUDY, SPIELBERGER'S STATE-TRAIT ANXIETY INVENTORY WAS ADMINISTERED TO PRISONERS AT THE FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION AT LOMPOC, CALIF., TWICE BEFORE AND TWICE AFTER INMATES LEARNED THE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION TECHNIQUE. AT THE FINAL TESTING, INMATES WERE ALSO ADMINISTERED A SHELLY QUESTIONNAIRE AND A LIKERT SCALE TO ASSESS SELF-PERCEIVED PERSONALITY CHANGES. AT BOTH PRETEST SESSIONS (4 AND A HALF WEEKS AND 1 TO 2 DAYS BEFORE THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP RECEIVED INSTRUCTION IN THE TM TECHNIQUE), THE MEAN TRANSITORY AND GENERAL ANXIETY TEST SCORES OF THE EXPERIMENTAL SUBJECTS WERE INSIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FROM THOSE OF A COMPARISON GROUP OF NONMEDITATING INMATES. AT THE FIRST POSTTEST (6 WEEKS AFTER BEGINNING TM), THE MEDITATORS SHOWED ANXIETY SCORES SIGNIFICANTLY BELOW THE PRISON NORM. THIS MARKED REDUCTION IN ANXIETY WAS MAINTAINED AT THE SECOND POSTTEST 15 WEEKS AFTER TM WAS BEGUN. REGULARITY OF MEDITATION WAS CORRELATED WITH REDUCTION IN ANXIETY. THE LIKERT SCALE ADMINISTERED AT THE SECOND POSTTEST SESSION SUGGESTED POSITIVE PERSONALITY CHANGES IN THE MEDITATING INMATES. COMMENTS ELICITED FROM A QUESTIONNAIRE INDICATED ENTHUSIASTIC ACCEPTANCE OF THE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION PROGRAM BY THE INMATES. BECAUSE ANXIETY IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MOST COMMON PROBLEMS FACING INMATES AND BECAUSE TM MARKEDLY REDUCES ANXIETY, THE REPORT SUGGESTS THAT THE TM PROGRAM SHOWS GREAT PROMISE FOR REHABILITATION. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)