NCJ Number
91880
Date Published
1983
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Analysis of the cost benefits of the transcendental meditation (TM) program in California prisons demonstrates that the program has resulted in considerable cost savings because of a verifiable reduction in parole revocations and new convictions.
Abstract
Recidivism rates for 203 TM participants, 10 percent of the prison population, were compared with 203 matched controls. Results suggest that by the time the recidivists had finished their terms, the changes in attitude brought about by TM programs had saved the State considerable money. The program's overhead was minimal, since its operation was funded by private grants and supported by volunteers. Projections based on these figures indicate even greater potential savings: a nationwide TM program for 10 percent of the felon population would yield net savings of $170 million after 5 years. In addition, the annual increase in the size of the prison population could be considerably reduced, especially if TM programs were also introduced in county jails, the juvenile authority, and the educational system as a whole. Tables are supplied.