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Judge Sends Offenders to Tai Chi Class

Posted on: Monday, 4 August 2003, 06:00 CDT

Municipal Court might be the last place you would expect to find offenders meditating and learning to balance their chi.

But this, after all, is Santa Fe.

And it's where Judge Frances Gallegos has placed offenders in her new alternative sentencing program - a tai chi class complete with a Japanese-style tea service and meditation aided by acupuncture.

Instructor Mark De Francis, a doctor of Oriental medicine who works as a psychologist for the state Corrections Department, said he believes violent offenders can benefit from tai chi and meditation.

Tai chi, a meditative self-defense art, is characterized by slow, relaxed movement. De Francis said it teaches practitioners to control impulses and fight their inner opponent.

"It's good for people whether they're in trouble or not," he said.

Offenders have a choice - they can either sign up for the tai chi class or participate in a community service program that involves picking up trash.

Gallegos said one of the goals of the 12-week class is to get offenders to rethink violence the next time they're in a dispute.

Geovanni Montijo, 23, didn't want to discuss the charges that brought him to the class. But he said he'd rather meditate than pick up trash.

"I wanted to check this class out," he said. "I think it's working."

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