MECC Criminal Justice Students Learn about Peacemaking Criminologist

Just what exactly is a peacemaking criminologist?  Criminal Justice students from Mountain Empire Community College were able to find out firsthand when they traveled to East Tennessee State University to hear Bo Lozoff speak about his work with prison inmates across the nation.  The students from MECC were the largest group in attendance at the lecture, which was open to the public.

Lozoff, who has visited over 800 prisons worldwide, helped to begin the Prison-Ashram Project in 1973.  The project encourages prisoners to use prisons as ashrams, a place where people live for some period of time in order to strengthen their spiritual practice and self-discipline.  A great number of prisoners showed interest and by 1975, the project became Lozoff's full-time job as he began traveling to prisons and speaking with inmates. 

He and his wife, Sita, have been the directors of the Prison-Ashram Project since its inception.  In 1987, they also created the Human Kindness Foundation, a non-profit organization which stresses a way of life based on simple living, a dedication to service, and a commitment to personal spiritual practice.  Lozoff continues to travel around the country, speaking at prison workshops, public talks and discussions, and concerts.  

The group from MECC heard Lozoff talk about the restorative justice model in which individuals are restored to become a meaningful part of society after being released from prison.  He approaches this method from a spiritual point of view.

"We had a good time and an interesting time," says MECC Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Robert England, who took the students to the lecture at ETSU.  England states that Lozoff has had some famous fans over the years, including Mister (Fred) Rogers, who called him one of his heroes, and the Dalai Lama, who wrote the foreword to Lozoff's book, It's a Meaningful Life.

MECC Criminal Justice Students traveled to ETSU to hear peacemaking criminologist Bo Lozoff speak about his work in prisons worldwide.

Seated (left to right): Caleb Lawson, Jessee Blair, and Kayla Meade

Standing (left to right): MECC Assoc. Professor of Criminal Justice Robert England, Matt Taylor, Alicia Powers, Virginia Collins, Justin Greear, and Elaine Zander