Yoga in Prisons

Here's my final paper!

Introduction

            Over 200,000 people in the United States today are serving a sentence in prison (Federal Bureau of Prisons, 2012). These people have been convicted of some sort of wrong-doing in the eyes of America. It is possible they are murders, rapists, extortionists, etc. The list of reasons why someone is in prison can go on and on. The question is what happens to them while they are there? What are we supposed to do with someone who committed a crime once we put them in jail? There are over 19,000 people serving more than 20 years (Federal Bureau of Prisons, 2012). In their years in a cell, do we attempt to reform them? Or should we just continue with our daily lives, not bothering to worry about those inside prison? Could the answer be yoga?

            Yoga has transformed my life in many ways for the better. When I first started practice yoga, it was all about the physical benefits. My arms were more toned; I was getting an awesome cardio work out, etc. Slowly, the more I practiced, the less it became about the physical. Yoga really opened my eyes to a whole new world, and a whole new way to look at things. This was not intentional. I did not begin my yoga practice with the intention of looking deep within myself; I began with a need to build more muscle. I truly believe that someone’s life can be completely changed with the practice of yoga. One does not need to begin with an intent of change, but just being open to yoga gives it room to change your life. Why not try this theory on a group of people who need change in their lives? Prisoners can find spirituality and God in their lives while in prison, so why not yoga? For some, yoga can merely be a way of quieting the mind and relaxing, and for others it can become a religion. These people are stuck in these cells for a long time, with nothing to do, yoga seems like a great option, and what’s the harm if it fails?

PROBLEMS WITHIN PRISONS

Prison is a scary place. It is somewhere that no one wants to go, but ultimately people will end up in prison. Suneetha says it best when saying,

Incarceration for the convicted criminal cannot be either avoided or escaped; it has to be coped with. Prison is a taboo place that even most hardcore criminals dread to go. The environment is very oppressive and depressive. Being caged, reminds one of dogs or other pet animals that are kept chained. It is very different from the world outside, the world in which the prisoners are born and brought up.

I imagine the violence continues in prison because of this mentality. Being completely caged in, not in charge of your own life creates such emotions of animosity and hate. Prisons are also dealing with the issue of overcrowding. “Earlier this year the Supreme Court ruled that California prisons were in such bad shape they violated the 8th amendment prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment. The reason? Overcrowding” (Signer, 2011). Even though these people are in prison for doing something wrong, they are still human, and deserve to be treated with dignity and at least a little bit of respect. There are a number of problems taking place within the prison system, such as overcrowding, lack of food, etc. “However, although everyone agrees that health and sanitation are important, prisons consistently cut costs by encouraging overcrowding, reducing the quality of nutrition, and hiring undereducated staff. These practices are unethical and immoral, creating an ethos that permeates prison systems. The public enthusiastically supports these policies with the refrain, ‘Prisons should not be country clubs!’” (Ristad 2008). With all of these things lacking in the prisoners lives, they need something to keep their mind off of what is taking place around them. They need someplace to retreat, and be able to be who they really are. Maybe if they were allowed to be themselves, their true selves would show, and they would be able to let go of some of the hate and anger they hold within them. “Prison is a small area where three to ten thousand dysfunctional men live intimately in dehumanizing conditions with little care and respect. These conditions and the closeness of quarters exacerbate tensions, anxieties, fears and prejudices in dysfunctional inmates and staff” (Ristad 2008). How can we help this problem? The answer; yoga.

YOGA CAN HELP!

            Yoga is a mysterious thing. It is truly wonderful in bringing people to a place of peace and tranquility. Peace of mind, or quieting the mind is something that everyone will always be searching for. People will never stop searching for meaning to their lives, or some sort of calm and peacefulness. Suneetha talks about the its importance,

Spirituality today is considered one of the most powerful tools for personal transformation. It has the power to transform and maintain enormous changes in one's perceptions, values, and behaviors. It can be a personal source of strength in coping with physical, emotional, or environmental stress. The numerous benefits of being ‘spiritual’ and the miraculous changes that spirituality may bring about in people, has baffled science

As Suneetha states above, having a spirituality or religious practice can guide one’s moral compass, and bring about a sense of values and ethics in a person. These morals, values, and ethics are surely what is missing in most prisoners. They cannot be fully blamed for the things missing in their lives. Many of these prisoners have had rough lives as children, and their family members have been familiar within the prison system. Yoga has the potential to bring love into their lives that they have never experienced. It also has the potential to create a calm environment and mindset for someone living in such an anger filled environment.

            A great amount of research has been done on the benefits of yoga. There are numerous studies out there that have proven yoga to be a great stress relief, as well as great physically. This applies to anyone who practices yoga, not just those who have built their lives around the practice of yoga. “The jail authorities also reported that the yoga program had been conducive to creating cordiality among the prisoners. It had also reduced the jail’s expenditure on medicines and the jail environment had become friendlier” (Suneetha). Studies have begun to appear supporting yoga and the work it is doing in jails. “Yoga and meditation help prison inmates develop important emotional skills like impulse control and willpower – both of which can prevent someone from seeking out a drug fix or pulling out a weapon in moments of stress, said Fox” (Signer 2011). Programs are beginning to reach out to those in the at risk population, and are beginning to see results. I find it surprising that others find it surprising that yoga helps those in the prison setting. Yoga is a very mystical thing, and has the power to change people’s perspective. Programs, and projects all over the country are starting to see positive results with prisoners. Lila Rucker reflects on her work with the Alternatives to Violence Project;

Drawing from his 25-year experience of working with violent boys and men, psychologist James Garbarino concluded that spiritual anchors are often the starting point for the “path back from violence” since they refer to those aspects of life which “engender a sense of meaningfulness rooted in higher purpose and a more enduring reality.”  Garbarino argues that it is only after a spiritual anchor is in place—and individuals have begun to grapple with the meaningfulness for which they yearn—that educational programs, counseling, vocational experiences, and regular psychotherapy can help (109).

Is spirituality the real answer to reform in these prisoners lives? Yoga as a physical workout might be helpful in bringing a sense of peace and calm to their lives, but when adding in spirituality there is hopefully a chance for reform. I wonder if there is a link between spirituality and criminality. My assumption would be that the more spiritual or religious you might be, the less likely you are to commit a violent crime. Therefore putting people who have been raised in a hostile, un-spiritual environment are the ones more likely to end up in prison. Fernander et al (2010) discusses a possible link between the two;

The link between spirituality and criminal activity may be due to the raising of social consciousness that accompanies an individual’s spirituality that is protective against criminal behavior directed toward others (victim-oriented crimes); that is, those involved in criminal activity, who are not spiritual, may be more likely to commit person and/or property crime, whereas those who are involved in criminal activity and are spiritual may be more likely to commit nonvictim-oriented crimes.

It is refreshing to read that many of those who are spiritual or religious are less likely to commit crimes against another person in the form of violence. But once someone is in the prison system, it is our job to punish them for their crime, as well as make numerous attempts to reform and rehabilitate the prisoner. Thomas & Zaitzow (2006) discuss that prisoners are more likely to become spiritual if they are going to be spending an extended amount of time in prison. Most prisoners who are in for a short term sentence are focused on getting adapted to survive, and getting out. Prisoners who are serving a longer sentence adapt to imprisonment differently, and a few amount of people focus on personal as well as spiritual development (Thomas & Zaitzow 2006). Few studies have been done on the significance of religion or spirituality in the prison system, and the effect it has on the rehabilitation. “The inmate subculture helps inmates cope with the deprivations of prison life by providing shared ways of thinking, feeling, and acting for all aspects of prison life” (Thomas & Zaitzow 2006). Yoga could serve as a gateway into the spiritual for many prisoners. As I’ve said before, yoga can start out as something purely physical and turn into a life changing thing. For the prisoners serving long term sentences, I think it is important to provide an alternative to religion. Yoga is a great way to look inside yourself, and come to terms with the things you’ve done as well as forgive yourself.

YOGA PRISON PROJECT

            James Fox has been practicing, and teaching yoga for over 20 years. He is best known for starting a group called the Prison Yoga Project, which reaches out to at-risk population, and those who are incarcerated. “The goal of the Prison Yoga Project is to help people to shift unconscious behavioral patterns of reacting into conscious ways of responding by teaching individuals the skill of clearly witnessing their moment-to-moment experience. Learning this fundamental behavioral shift can make the difference between a person committing a crime or not” (prisonyoga.com). This program has been working to create change in these prisoners, and has seen results. Quotes from prisoners, as well as testimonials, can be seen on the site, and it is amazing to see what the prisoners have to say and how yoga has truly changed their life. This project is not something that is just done for the male population in prison, but Prison Yoga Project is also working with women.

            In 2008, almost 115,000 women in the United States were incarcerated in state or federal prisons (Harner et al 2010). These women are just as human as the rest of us, and just as likely, if not more, to be affected by mental disorders and illness. Contributing factors to the mental illnesses in these incarcerated women are “pre-incarceration social, environmental, and behavioral risk factors, such as limited education, poverty, homelessness, and limited access to and use of health service” (Harner et al 2010). Services are available within the prison to those suffering from mental illness but it is more than likely that these services are over-worked and very under-serviced. There are an abundance of statistics on the likelihood of a women entering into the prison system with a preexisting mental illness, such as 13% of women entering into prison have a history of major depressive disorder, 3% have lifetime anxiety disorder, and 6% have panic disorder (Harner et al 2010). With the risk of mental illness high and the services available restricted, this is where yoga comes in. Introducing yoga into women’s prisons could drastically reduce the number of women plagued with mental illness, or at least help ease their anxiety. “Women who participated in the Iyengar yoga intervention reported a significant reduction in levels of depression symptoms and marginally significant reductions in levels of anxiety symptoms” (Harner et al 2010). The above quote proves that noteworthy improvements can be made in one’s mental health by introducing yoga into prisons. It is important to make note of this step for prisons as well as yoga. People in prison are looking for something that will keep their mind off of the fact that they are imprisoned. Maybe that is all they are looking for but they could also improve their quality of mental health, as well as reduce stress, and gain a mental clarity.

CONCLUSION

            In conclusion, it makes logical sense that in a new attempt to reform prisoners yoga should be introduced. Most of these prisoners are serving long term sentences, and are in need of an activity to occupy their time. Yoga can begin as solely physical practice, and gradually grow into something more for those who want it. Meditation and an adoption of the yoga philosophy is a great way to look within, and perhaps transform your state of consciousness. Studies have shown that yoga within the prison system has reduced the tension and anger among prisoners, and has the possibility to reduce violence among them as well. “‘Yoga and its emphasis on the power of a single breath has promoted for me a respect for life and a profound realization of the destructive force of violence,’ says a current Northblock Student that is involved in IPP, yet another yoga prison program (insightprisonproject.org). Yoga has the potential to transform lives, and thoughts and why not try it on those who need it? Prisoners need a sense of complete love, and the feelings that come after a yoga practice. I think that studies have proven that it is a wise idea to introduce yoga into the system, and it would be silly not to do so. These people have potentially committed violent crimes, but that is no reason not to extend yoga to them as a way of dealing with the things they have done, and maybe eventually being rehabilitated.

References

(2012). Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved from: http://www.bop.gov/news/quick.jsp

Fernander, A et al. (2010). Exploring the Type-of-Crime Hypothesis, Religiosity, and Spirituality in an Adult Male Prison Population. Int Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology. 49(682-695). Doi:10.1177/0306624X05274897

Fox, J. (2010). Prison Yoga Project. Retrieved from: http://prisonyoga.com/index.php

Harner, H., et al (2010). Effects of Iyengar Yoga on Mental Health of Incarcerated Women: A Feasibility Study. Retrieved from: http://www.prisonyoga.com/downloads/research/iyengar_study_incacerated_women.pdf

Insight Prison Project. Retrieved from: http://insightprisonproject.org/

Ristad, R.N. (2008). A Stark Examination of Prison Culture and Prison Ministry. A Journal of Theology. 47(3), 292-303. Retrieved from: web.ebscohost.com

Rucker, L. (2005). Yoga and restorative justice in prison: An experience of "response-ability to harms". Contemporary Justice Review. 8(1), 107-120. Doi: 10.1080/10282580500044143

Signer, R. (2011). Meditating Behind Bars: Why Yoga In Prisons May Mitigate Recidivism. Retrieved from: http://dowser.org/meditating-behind-bars-why-http://www.bop.gov/news/quick.jspyoga-in-prisons-may-mitigate-recidivism/

Suneetha, K. (n.d.). Coping with incarceration: The role of yoga, meditation, and spirituality. Retrieved from: http://www.ipi.org.in/texts/others/suneethak-incarceration-sp.php

Thomas, J. & Zaitzow, B. (2006). Conning or Conversion? The Role of Religion in Prison Coping. The Prison Journal. 86(2), 242-259. Doi: 10.1177/0032885506287952