Outreach at Folsom Prison

Justin flew out to Sacramento, CA in May to give a T’ai Chi Chih Lecture/Demonstration to a group of inmates at Folsom State Prison. This talk (which was videotaped) was also attended by Tara Stiles, Doug Harned and Noel and Ed Altman. The inmates were excited to hear Justin’s message of hope, strength, acceptance and renewal through the practice of T’ai Chi Chih. They eagerly clustered around Justin and the other teachers to ask questions, share stories, and find out how to learn T’ai Chi Chih. Doug [Harned] stayed on to help with a teacher training course for our newest instructor, James Hecker, who is currently an inmate at Folsom. He will be establishing T’ai Chi Chih courses there from now on. I’d like to thank Tara Stiles for teaching T’ai Chi Chih at Folsom Prison, and for assisting James with his preparation.

The visit had a profound affect on the inmates, instructors, and even the Folsom staff who heard Justin talk. Most of the attendees were inmates who will soon be released on parole and are looking for ways to turn their lives around. They immediately recognized T’ai Chi Chih as a valuable tool to help them break the cycles of violence and addiction they struggle with on a daily basis. Those were their words! The inmates at Folsom Prison appreciate the gift of T’ai Chi Chih and know the value of community. (See related article on pages 30-31.)