This was an inspiring story by kirtan wallah Benjy Wertheimer of Shantala, who tells of his experience singing kirtan with the inmates of an Oregon prison.
Prison — I Can’t Wait To Go Back
By Benjy Wertheimer/ via Elephant Journal/Apr 16, 2011
Early in the spring, we went to the Oregon State Correctional Institution (OSCI) and offered kirtan to a group of men imprisoned there. In many respects, it was one of the most profound practices I’ve ever had as I travel down the path of a western kirtanwallah, and I find myself struggling to put the experience into context.
When we arrived at the gate to the prison, it was immediately clear that we were not making our offering in anything remotely resembling our usual yoga studio/sacred space venues.