Buddha project shapes inmates’ futures

“I am a changed man,” he said on condition of anonymity.

Convicted of a serious crime, the 43-year-old man said the process of sculpting Buddha statues had gradually purified his heart. 
“I am now very calm and conscious of what I am doing. I have reflected on my past and seen clearly why I ended up in jail like this. Moreover, I have realised what I should do to never repeat the mistake,” he said. 
Launched in response to HRH Princess Bajra Kitiyabha’s initiative, the project for prisoners to learn to create Buddha statues from clay has already extended to three batches of participants. 
“I can tell you that after being released from jail, all 14 participants from the first two batches of the project have not engaged in any violation of the law again,” Corrections Department director-general Pol Colonel Naras Savestanan said earlier this week. 
He said the project delivered two clear benefits: Purifying the hearts of participating inmates and promoting Buddhism. 
The third batch of the project covers 30 inmates and involves creating 10 large Buddha statues.
The large statues will be given to temples and hospitals and participating inmates can choose the recipients of the small statues they have sculpted. 
“I have given one of the statues to my mum,” another inmate said. 
Convicted of murder, he has spent eight years in jail already and will have to stay behind bars for 19 more. 
“After joining this project, my mind is calm and clear. I focus on living my life well. I hope that after I am released from jail, I will be able to use my knowledge from the project to design objects to make a living and receive opportunities to work as a volunteer,” he said. 
Silpakorn University lecturer Phusit Rattanapanop, who provided training to inmates under the project, said sculpting skills could be applied to various fields. 
“You may produce various other sacred statues or create souvenirs,” he said.