The Prisoner Correspondence Course Program administered by The Buddhist Association of the United States (BAUS), was started in 2005 and grew out of repeated requests from prisoners for a structured way to study Buddhism. Many were confused when they read books from different Buddhist traditions – Theravada, Zen, Tibetan, Pure Land, etc. – and were looking for a way to understand the essentials of Buddhism common to all of the different Buddhist schools and to improve their own Buddhist practice. The goals of the Course are to familiarize prisoners with the life of the Buddha, Buddhist concepts, theory and practice, and to help prisoners Integrate Buddhism into their lives and to aid them in cultivating skillful states of mind such as equanimity and compassion. The Course stresses the practices of: Meditation, Mindfulness, and Metta meditation. The Course is given at no cost to prisoners.

WLHZ Students who are in the Diaconate phase of the Lay Path, with sufficient maturity and with consent of the Abbot, may apply to become a Prison Correspondence Course Dharma Mentor.