History of Dharma Friends Prison Outreach Project
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Following the execution of Frankie Parker in August of 1996, a Buddhist prisoner in the
Arkansas Department of Correction, there were many that wished to honor him and the
powerful influence that he had had on his local Little Rock Buddhist community. Prisoners
and others from around the country and around the world had read of his plight as he faced
execution and they wrote to us. Two steps appeared natural and seemed to fall into place as
his legacy. The Ecumenical Buddhist Society in Little Rock, established what was first called
the Jusan Prison Education Project to provide free books to prisoners as they could. Jusan
was Frankie's spiritual name when he took refuge vows in the Zen Buddhist tradition. Since
he had educated himself while in prison with voracious reading in all religious traditions and
these books were made available to him through the kindness of others, it was felt fitting to
make such books available to all that they might help. Secondly, in response to all of the
letters that Anna Cox, a spiritual friend of Frankie's, received, she tried to write a communal
response because she was unable to keep up with all of the individual letters that she had
received. In response to that first communal letter and the return mail that it generated, the
Dharma Friends newsletter was born. Rather than bearing two different names, the Jusan
Prison Education Project gently merged under our Dharma Friends title. This became an
ongoing letter to reach others with support, answers to questions, offers of healing
information, and simple spiritual teachings and meditations that would support spiritual paths
of all traditions. The newsletter was free to all prisoners who requested it and a subscription
was, and still is, available for $30 for one year, or an email subscription for any donation
amount. Just be sure we get your email! At first, Dharma Friends was mailed out to about
18 subscribers and 40 inmates. Support for printing, mailing, and other costs was generated
through subscription receipts and donations. For the first few years, accounting barely came
out even. Gradually, with more and more inmate requests, the amount that was required
each month to sustain the newsletter became unmanageable. More and more donations
were sought and organizations such as the Darragh Foundation and The Ecumenical
Buddhist Society have given generously in various ways. By Dharma Friends' 5th
anniversary, issues were mailed to 330 individuals and about 30 subscribers. There were
requests from chaplains who asked for their own copies and copies for their prison libraries.
There were many inmates who had started study and meditation groups that used the
newsletter as their study text and the meditations for their practices. Periodically, as was
possible, free books were mailed to prisoners that requested them. Letters from inmates
were almost unanimously positive and many said that it was Dharma Friends that
sustained them and that the Dharma Friends community was their only family.
Now, in March 2009, as we write our 146th issue, our subscribers and prisoner recipients
have grown to almost 2000. Those of us who volunteer our time and efforts to Dharma
Friends are very grateful to have the opportunity to serve so many. We receive letters
almost every day which tell us how this small community of Dharma Friends gives them
guidance, and emotional and spiritual support. Anna Cox has volunteered for many years
now as a Certified Religious Advisor in the Arkansas Department of Correction with
inmates at all levels of the prison population and on death row. There are many in our
Dharma Friends' community who write to and visit inmates in many of the prisons and on
death row. There are many throughout the world who receive Dharma Friends and who
have been long time spiritual practitioners of various traditions who write to those requesting
more support on their journey. Individual readers aid and support each other with their
letters of encouragement and experience that are published each month in the newsletter.
There are those in other countries who print Dharma Friends off of our web page and
distribute issues to prisoners in their area. There are also many in our Dharma Friends
community who give public talks about prison issues and the death penalty issue.
Our Dharma Friends dream is to continue to make our newsletter available to every
prisoner who requests it and through a community of those in prison and those outside of
prison walls we grow to realize that we are all one family that can support and teach each
other in so many ways. Within the realm of great compassion, we know we are all one and
inseparable from each other.