Doing Time, Doing Vipassana

Did you ever wonder if the brutality of our prison systems is perhaps not the best way to turn hardened criminals into warm, loving human beings who want to hug and support and give special feelings to children and fluffy bunnies? Well, in sharp distinction to the U.S. policy of anally raping everyone who gets convicted of smoking half a joint, India attempted an experiment in teaching meditation to its convict populace. It’s an interesting idea, though this documentary is a little too much like one of those educational films you’d watch in eighth grade when your teacher was too hung over to teach. Still, in spite of the blandness of the presentation, the oddness and truth of the story make this a reasonably interesting effort.