Part of a special section on American Buddhism, Race, and Power.
Many Buddhist programs in US prisons focus on reforming incarcerated people. Often the leaders of these programs celebrate their incarcerated students for undergoing extraordinary transformations from so-called angry prisoners into calm and compassionate bodhisattvas. Those deemed exceptional may attain celebrity status and often receive privileges both within prison and from outside supporters, such as nationwide protests on their behalf and superior, pro-bono legal resources. This article explores discourses of Buddhist exceptionalism, which raise up some incarcerated people as extraordinary but relegate others to an undifferentiated, unrepentant mass of “in-mates” or “criminals” deserving punishment. As not only Buddhist leaders but also journalists and celebrities repeat these discourses, they normalize the US’s ongoing racialized system of mass incarceration and the disenfranchisement of people trapped inside.