FAQ

Anyone can participate. The only requirement is the ability to read at an elementary grade level.

Criminon Tennessee provides classes inside jail and prison facilities at no charge.

Outside programs are offered as a diversion from incarceration and to support re-entry. The fee is $10 for an hour class, and we seek sponsors for individuals who cannot pay the full cost. No one is turned away.

We Deliver Positive Results
We deliver results, not just time in the classroom. Incarcerated students work through the program in a group and are encouraged to apply the principles to immediately improve their lives and environment. Outside students study at their own pace, under supervision. They may take as long as necessary to get the expected results of each course.

Yes. Evaluation research shows that the program produces the expected positive results. The results are attributed to the program itself, rather than to other extraneous factors or events.

We encourage you to read the studies provided on this website. The FASE (Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education) study, Intermediate Sanctions for Juvenile Offenders: A Utah Juvenile Court Case Study, is a detailed study.

In summary, FASE found “That so many youths who completed the program remained misdemeanor and felony free during the remainder of their adolescence is very encouraging. Further, many of the skills learned in this program could be expected to directly address and improve education and employment-related outcomes.”

The Criminon program is not a medical or mental health program. We do not interfere in medical issues, leaving these matters in the hands of specialized physicians.

Criminon strongly suggests that individuals receive appropriate care when ill. In fact, the first lesson of the The Way to Happiness Course is: Take Care of Yourself.

Criminon does not treat the mentally ill. However, individuals diagnosed with mental illness may benefit from the program and are welcome.

Criminon is strongly opposed to the use of illegal, non-prescription drugs or to the illegal use or abuse of prescription medication. We encourage people with such problems to take these courses and cease the abuse of alcohol and controlled substances.

No. Criminon is a secular (non-religious) organization and utilizes a universal and common-sense moral code. The Criminon materials do not discuss religion beyond the advice to respect the religious beliefs of others.

Our mission is compatible with any form of religious observance. We respect the cultures, traditions and religious beliefs of the individual, and persons with no religious affiliation or ambition are welcome.

Our materials are based on the works of L. Ron Hubbard, well-known as the founder of the Church of Scientology. Criminon is not part of the Church, but an independent non-profit organization. Mr. Hubbard conducted extensive research in the field of personal rehabilitation, and Criminon is privileged with a license to use his discoveries outside the church setting.

L. Ron Hubbard was an author and humanitarian who devoted his life to helping others.

His works cover various topics such as drug rehabilitation, criminal rehabilitation, education, marriage and family, as well as many other aspects of life.

Hubbard personally worked as a Special Officer for the Los Angeles Police Department in the late 1940s. After years of research and development, his drug rehab techniques were implemented in the prison system, leading in 1972 to the first Criminon program. The program later expanded to include literacy and other skills necessary to survive in today’s world.

Criminon accomplishes its purpose through the use of L. Ron Hubbard’s booklet, The Way to Happiness. This common-sense moral code is a non-religious guide for sensible behavior.

Through a program of study and drills, Criminon rehabilitates the individual’s lost sense of responsibility for himself, his family, society and our environment.

Criminon believes that people are not born criminals. Through lack of education and belief, trust and respect in oneself, through lack of guides, man turns to crime. To remedy this, Mr. Hubbard set out 21 fundamental teachings by which one can chart his path. These are:

In the process of applying these principles to their lives, students come to understand how it was that their past behavior and associations led to harm. They regain confidence to act successfully to improve their own life and the lives of those around them.

The Criminon students come to realize that they are capable of making correct choices, and they regain their own self-respect.

The word “Criminon” means no crime, as in “a society without crime” or “a life without crime.”

Criminon is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to the rehabilitation of criminals and others caught up in legal trouble.

This is accomplished through services that improve literacy, self-respect and relationship skills, thereby breaking antisocial habits.

Criminon utilizes the highly effective secular works of author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard, which help participants gain abilities to study, to comprehend and to restore their integrity and pride.