Prison Outreach: 20 Years of Service

by Eileen Bristol

Note: the art work pictured has been shared with APO by inmates in the program.

Twenty years ago, Anthroposophical Prison Outreach was founded to serve a population of individuals who would otherwise not likely have access to the work of Rudolf Steiner! APO has reached about 4,000 individuals serving time in prison, helping them transforming their lives through the teachings of anthroposophy. Our library has circulated 20,000 books and placed 600 copies of How to Know Higher Worlds in prison libraries. In sharing the story of APO, we would like to acknowledge those who were already active bringing anthroposophy into prison settings as early as the 1970’s, creating a seed for our work. These individuals include Truus Geraets and Fred Janney in Michigan, Jan Kibler in New York, Catherine Sneed in California, John Ehrlich in Maryland, Richard Dancy, David Schwartz, Louise Hill, Jean Yeager, Robert Logsdon, and many others in Pennsylvania.

The actual founding of the Society’s APO program has an interesting story. In 1997, I was talking with Blanche Price about the launching of a program to link “study buddies” around the country who did not have access to local study groups. She asked me if I was thinking of including prisoners. The idea was very interesting to me and she introduced me to Fred Janney and her husband Stephen Price, D.C., the next time I was in Ann Arbor. Years later, she told me that in the filing cabinet was a folder “Eileen Prison Work” that she had never opened. She assumed that I was the Eileen in question and thus had raised the question to me about working with individuals in prison. In actual fact, the contents of the folder had to do with a different Eileen! It was one of those amazing “coincidences” that shape our lives.

The Spring 1998 News for Members included an invitation to people who had done anthroposophical work in a prison to contact me. We established a dialogue and agreed to gather in Ann Arbor for a planning meeting. Through the generosity of a bequest from Elise Casper, the Society had created a “New Initiatives Fund” and we applied for and received a grant of $3,000 to cover the cost of organizational meetings and initial start-up costs. That $3,000 launched a program that changed thousands of lives. Thank you Elise!

After two meetings at Rudolf Steiner House in Ann Arbor, with people coming from around the country (including Rick Ruffin who currently serves on the steering committee), it became clear that a national lending library with postage prepaid envelopes for returning the books was the best way to start. We formed a “recognized group” of the ASA. It was understood that APO would raise all funds required for the running of the program as the participants do not pay any tuition. The foundation for Rudolf Steiner Books funded our initial book purchases for the library and we were ready to launch the program.

Advertisements were placed in prison newsletters around the country with the question: “Does your life have meaning?” and offering an introductory packet with a copy of Fred’s article Self Development in the Penitentiary, as well as a list of library books and general information. The letters of inquiry began arriving and they continue to this day.

Terri Rosatti served briefly as the original program director and Kathy Serafin took on the position soon after and has done an amazing job for all these years. Her warmth of soul and sincere interest in the progress of each student in the program radiates to all the participants. Each one of them feels her to be their personal friend.

Over the years, other aspects to the program were added including the newsletter Illuminating Anthroposophy, a mentorship program, and access to the EduCareDo, an Australia-based distance learning program. Looking to the future, we hope to develop a team of people around the country offering in-person classes in prison, similar to the work Kathy and Fred are doing now in some Michigan prisons. We would also love to place additional books in libraries around the country. There is such a need!

An anonymous donor provided a large percentage of the annual budget for some years and is no longer able to offer that support. Every day we receive inquiries from individuals who are in prison and want to change their lives through spiritual science. We are limited only by our ability to gather the funding necessary, both for sustaining and growing the program.

Please lend a hand. Donations (including monthly pledges) can be made through our Facebook page, through anthroposophyforprisoners.org, our website, or by mail to APO, Anthroposophical Society in America, 1923 Geddes Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Participation in our annual Walk/Bike-a-thon is a great way to gather funds as well. You can reach our program director at kathys@anthroposophy.org. Thank you!

Eileen Bristol has been an active member of the Society for many years, and serves on the advisory board of APO.