The John J. Moran Prison in Rhode Island is one of the last places one would expect to find a thriving meditative community. “We have everybody here,” says Roberta Richman of the Rhode Island Department of Corrections. “Murderers, Rapists, sex offenders, drug addicts—everybody.” But with the help of Fleet Maull, a former inmate who served 14 years for drug trafficking, some prisoners are experiencing a spiritual awakening that seems to help them cope with life behind bars, and life after prison.

In this short film from Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee we go inside the Rhode Island correctional facility, where we are introduced to Fleet Maull and the inmates who enroll in his Prison Mindfulness Institute. The film makes the case for prison serving the function of reformation and not simply incarceration.

To see more work by Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee visit goprojectfilms.com, or visit his Global Oneness Project.