Show Notes – Part 1

Using the Art of Computer Programming to Address Prisoner’s with Mental Illness

Guest: Christopher Henningsen

Bio: Chris Henningsen is a computer programmer and author from the UK. Among some of his interests are linguistics and spiritual matters. His passion for linguistics helped him to notice a parallel between prison and programming which lead to him writing the book Mindful Programming. In his book, Chris uses computer programming as a metaphor to explore mental health. 

Subject: Does your loved one or someone you know struggle with mental illness? Well mental illness is so prevalent in prisons that prisons are now known as “the new asylums”. For instance, the Los Angeles County Jail, New York’s Riker’s Island Jail and Chicago’s Cook County Jail each hold more mentally ill inmates than any psychiatric hospital in the US. The numbers are still growing. Christopher Henningsen will talk about How computer programming can be used to help prisoners who suffer from mental illness. 

Show Highlights:

  • The Book Mindful Programming
  • Mental illness and the treatment using art
  • Parallels between programming and spirituality
  • Programming is an art 
  • The disciplines learned by using the art of programming