EXCLUSIVE Violence plummets in men's prison - after inmates were taught about ancient Greek philosophy of Stoicism
Inmates at HMP Wayland, Norfolk, were taught how to live virtuous, peaceful lives based on resilience, rational thinking and self-discipline.
Since the classes were rolled out, physical attacks on staff and other prisoners have reduced drastically – turning Wayland into one of the least-violent prisons in the country.
Inspectors from the Independent Monitoring Board praised the 'innovative' effort to help prisoners find their 'inner resilience'.
'Staff [led] a course heavily influenced by the Greek philosophy of Stoicism,' their report said. 'Voluntary courses are well-attended and well-received and, due to demand, are almost continuously scheduled now.
'This sort of effort distances [the prison] from punitive and simply educative approaches and, instead, seeks to increase a prisoner's inner resilience.
'The governor's approach has significantly reduced the level of violence against other prisoners and against staff to one of the lowest amongst comparable prisons in the country.'
Stoicism, founded by Zeno of Citium more than 2,300 years ago, centres on four cardinal virtues – prudence, fortitude, temperance and justice – that help followers lead a 'well-lived life'.
Stoics believe we should only concern ourselves with things within our control and accept what we cannot control, like other people's behaviour or external events.
They argue that emotions like anger or envy are not triggered by actual events but by our interpretations of them, so if we can change our thinking, we can master our emotions.
Modern Stoicism often means using daily reflection, journaling, or mindfulness to keep perspective, remain calm under pressure, and make ethical choices.
Famous Stoic thinkers have included Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, Roman statesman Seneca the Younger and Greek philosopher Epictetus.
One prison worker said the courses at HMP Wayland, a category-C jail with 900 inmates, said the courses were a 'great idea'.
'Prisoners are known to enjoy a bit of philosophy,' he said. 'The philosophy section of the library is among the most popular.
'These courses appear to have helped replace violence with peace and harmony.'
A Prison Service spokesperson said: 'Education helps reduce prison violence and encourages offenders to turn their backs on a life of crime.'
Prisoners can choose from dozens of educational courses to help them leave their lives of crime behind.
The Prisoners' Education Trust currently offers qualifications in 130 subjects including yachting, yoga, beekeeping and feline studies.
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