What has changed as a result of the intervention?

Since Dr Adarves-Yorno’s 2016 visit, Mindful Leader training has been incorporated into the prison’s formal education programme, with the support of the Officer in Charge. A fulltime course runs from Monday-Friday and there is also a shorter Wednesday afternoon course. Both are taught by inmates who are trained teachers and who participated in Dr Adarves-Yorno’s training workshops. A Self-Discovery and Mindfulness Handbook developed by Dr Adarves-Yorno and colleagues forms the basis for the ongoing training in the prison, with the idea that the Mindful Leaders’ groups will add contextual aspects to this handbook. The Mindful leader training has the enthusiastic support of the Director of Rehabilitation and Offender Management of the Kenya Prison Service. Continue reading →

As a result of Dr Adarves-Yorno’s work the Mindful Leader training has been incorporated into Naivasha prison’s formal education programme, supported by a small team of staff. The original 80 participants meet on a weekly basis and a further 80 trainees attend full and part time classes. Meetings and classes are coordinated by a core group of Mindful leaders. The University of Exeter Business School provides materials and equipment facilitated by the Africa Prisons Project. The impact of the intervention can be seen at individual, group and institutional levels, and is starting to manifest in wider society. Continue reading →