The prison system is a set of institutions and regulations that have major societal purposes. However, the facilities are not only helpful in terms of keeping dangerous people behind bars and maintaining safety and order in communities. Instead, they are meant to facilitate a safer environment through rehabilitation and opportunities to integrate into society as a law-abiding citizen. However, certain inmates can find difficulties addressing issues and problems that may have influenced them in terms of their life choices that ultimately led to a prison sentence. While interventions exist and individuals who are in prisons can often access educational programs, the less obvious yet critical subject to be discussed is mental health and coping mechanisms. It is certain that multiple inmates did not access the necessary resources to either address their trauma, receive support, and acquire skills to overcome specific barriers or relax during stressful situations. However, some practices have been widely applied to confront their particular areas of mental and physical health. These include yoga, meditation, and mindfulness, and based on the general connotations of these concepts, prison inmates can benefit from integrating them into their lives. This paper aims to examine current literature in terms of groups on inmates benefiting from applying yoga, meditation, and mindfulness, as well as the effects that follow such interventions.
Literature Review
Certain interventions involving yoga, meditation, and mindfulness have been applied to specific groups of inmates. Moreover, researchers have examined the effects correlating with the technique and have formed an opinion when it comes to it being effective or ineffective in addressing problems. Research conducted by Sfendla et al. (2018) has examined the effects of yoga and other physical activities on 152 inmates. Thus, the participants could either opt for yoga classes or classes with other forms of physical activities as a part of the experiment. The results, which have been determined through self-assessment, have been identified as positive in both groups. However, yoga classes have a more beneficial outcome in terms of reducing psychological distress. Psychological distress is a mental state in which an individual may act irrationally because of the anxiety, stress, and external factors that create an environment in which one feels the need to respond accordingly. As a result, addressing the distress through practices such as yoga can become a valuable tool to avoid unnecessary emotional and physical outbursts, which ultimately makes a person rethink certain old habits that may have resulted in incarceration in the first place.
The label of being an inmate does not mean that yoga, meditation, and mindfulness necessarily address problems related to incarceration. However, specific groups of prison populations have been served with sentences due to violent behavior. This is why the subsequent study that will be discussed has examined the effects of yoga and meditation on people with a history of violent behavioral patterns. Namely, more than 200 participants who have participated in militancy have been selected, and an intervention involving yoga and meditation has been applied (Kanchibhotla et al., 2020). As a result, the participants have experienced a reduction in aggressivity and a higher level of satisfaction with life and its quality. This exemplifies that the techniques can have a positive effect on individuals who have engaged in unethical behavior and confront some of the issues that appeared as a result of using violence.
As illustrated prior, the previous studies have examined the effects of yoga or meditation in combination with yoga in regards to effects on mental and physical well-being. An extensive literature review conducted by Derlic (2020) has examined the current research and information on every implementation examined in this particular paper, including yoga, mindfulness, and meditation. According to the researcher, the three concepts are inseparable, and the combination of the three is ultimately an acceptable way of improving the psychological and physical health of an inmate. The literature review has concluded that such an intervention applied within the prison system correlates with multiple benefits. Namely, yoga, mindfulness, and meditation mitigate adverse effects, anger, hostility, as well as facilitate relaxation and improve one’s self-esteem. Furthermore, a reduction in substance use may be the result of these particular concepts, which is also beneficial due to the fact that inmates can become vulnerable from being in an environment in which self-medication is not available. It is essential to mention that the three integration measures are not only effective in minimizing the risk of inmates becoming aggressive and violent inside and outside of prisons. They are also efficient in reducing the distress and anxiety that being served with a prison sentence correlates with. Thus, an individual who may have disobeyed a law for the first time and has no experience with being incarcerated may be overwhelmed by the drastic change in environments. Creating a more positive mental space through yoga, meditation, and mindfulness may facilitate positive adaptation and strong mental health even under hostile conditions.
Researchers have also conducted interventions based on specific populations and have applied unique methods in order for mental and physical problems to be addressed. An example is an intervention conducted by Owen-Smith et al. (2021), which examined the effects of mindfulness-based yoga on youths in the juvenile justice system. This particular demographic has participated in yoga sessions and has been evaluated based on self-reported opinions of the intervention and its impact on one’s mental and physical health. The results showed a positive overview of this type of yoga on the youth, accentuating not only its effectiveness but also the possibilities of such methods to be applied in the justice system on different demographics. As a result, the technique can potentially reduce recidivism since it covers a vulnerable demographic when it comes to eventually be incarcerated as adults and continuing to engage in illegal activities.
Another demographic that is often incarcerated are people with substance abuse. It is vital to highlight that these individuals come from an environment in which substances are available to one in which using becomes either much more complicated or impossible. As a result, the physical effects of withdrawal, as well as the mental aspect of not being able to fix internal feelings with a drug, have negative correlations with behavioral and emotional patterns. Researchers have conducted an intervention-based study examining the effects of yoga practices on certain aspects of substance use, namely, the lack of drugs in prison facilities (Willy-Gravley et al., 2021). The results were overwhelmingly positive, with beneficial effects in terms of reduced signs of relapse, better emotional regulation, and lower body dissociation. These effects are facilitated by the integration of yoga practices, which address both emotional and physical aspects that substance users may experience.
Demographics
In order for an intervention to work, it is essential to examine the possibilities of its implementation and the benefit on different groups of people that deal with specific issues or belong to certain communities. Moreover, the particular group of people discussed in this paper are those who have engaged in illegal activities and have been incarcerated. As mentioned prior, the essential aspect of applying distressing and physically healthy practices is not only to ensure a safe environment once these individuals leave the facilities. It is also essential to address the emotional issues correlating with incarceration itself. This is linked to the Biblical perspective of treating individuals equally despite their wrongdoings. It is expressed through the verse, “Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering” (“Hebrews 13:1-3,” n.d.). This illustrates that a person cannot be mistreated or denied basic needs because of an action, which does not imply that unlawful activities are not to be punished. Nonetheless, punishing does not limit the help that an individual can receive to cope with certain feelings and emotions. This is both beneficial for the person dealing with the problems as well as people around them who would feel safer and more satisfied if individuals with a violent or unlawful background receive the needed intervention to turn their lives around.
As exemplified above, this paper intends to identify the effect of yoga, mindfulness, and meditation on people in prisons. Thus, the literature that was illustrated has focused on this specific demographic. The prison inmates for which such intervention has been positive are both male and female. Moreover, an intervention addressing youths in the juvenile system has also been shown to be positive. Thus, age is not a limitation in terms of the efficacy of the methods. Another factor that was examined is particular facilitators that usually correlate with prison inmates, namely violence and substance abuse. It is certain that such facilities as prisons are more prominent in terms of the number of people prone to violent outbursts and substance abuse. The two demographics have also been shown to benefit from yoga, meditation, and mindfulness. While the issues are different in relation to manifestations and effects, the techniques mentioned prior have been positively integrated into both people who have engaged in violence and those suffering from substance abuse.
Effects
Any implementation is integrated into a system based on the desired effects that it is expected to facilitate. Thus, applying such techniques as yoga, meditation, and mindfulness into prison settings is to be efficient in achieving the goals that society and particular individuals would find helpful. The three concepts that can be viewed as a symbiotic intervention correlate with multiple positive effects that have been identified and described by researchers analyzing the subject. For example, one of the overall goals of the justice system is reducing recidivism and creating an environment in which prisons can rehabilitate a person rather than compromise one’s life forever. This is possible in theory, yet the high rates of recidivism show that the current measures cannot efficiently mitigate environmental, psychological, and cultural factors that ultimately drive a person to repeat offenses and disregard legislative regulations. On the other hand, the research mentioned prior illustrating the beneficial effects of yoga on youth in the juvenile system shows that certain practices involving physical and mental strength can be perceived as helpful by young adults. As a result, it can be implied that specific interventions based on practices balancing between exercise and mindfulness can potentially give the vulnerable youth a tool to deal with stress in their personal environment, either at home, school, or in the streets. As a result, the risks for recidivism, especially when it comes to violent crimes, decreases due to the ability to concentrate on a task and release energy in the right place.
It is also important to mention the physical benefits correlating with yoga, meditation, and mindfulness. This goes back to the subject exemplified prior, which is substance abuse. People who receive prison sentences are often vulnerable members of society who are prone to substance abuse, alcoholism, and other self-destructive behavior facilitated by environmental and mental causes. Thus, the effect of such outcomes is often physical and addressing it is crucial. Besides being an excellent way for an individual to relax, yoga and meditation are physically advantageous. As a result, the individuals are able to integrate the society without returning to old ways because of habits such as illegal substance use.
Last but not least, yoga, meditation, and mindfulness are effective in addressing one’s mental health and psychological well-being. According to Gideon and Sung (2011), reintegration into society is mainly maintaining a consistent pattern of positive results. This applies to a pattern that shows an individual’s capabilities to deal with stress, not relapse into illegal activity when difficulties occur, and maintain a healthy overview of the life and the environment around them. This is directly linked to mental health since it shapes how a person interacts with the world through actions, behaviors, and motives that ultimately impact others as well as the person in question. For example, meditation and yoga with a basis of mindfulness can help a person concentrate and be in the moment while releasing tension. This is especially important during a stressful situation when violence appears to be inevitable.
Conclusion
Based on relevant research, studies, and interventions that have been examined, it is certain that yoga, meditation, and mindfulness are effective when integrated into prison settings for the purpose of addressing the mental and psychological problems of inmates. Moreover, the implementation is fully practical and applies to different demographics, including men, women, and youth. Some aspects, in particular, can be addressed through such techniques, namely symptoms of substance abuse, anxiety, stress, anger, and other concepts that are prominent when it comes to individuals behind bars. Thus, the proposed intervention is specifically helpful for individuals who are vulnerable to engaging in illegal activity, violent behavior, and repeated offenses. On the other hand, the technique gives strategies to cope with certain urges, address physical problems, and avoid conflicts. The outcomes are not only positive for those participating in the practices but also for society as a whole since crime rates can potentially decrease, and recidivism would occur more rarely. Thus, prisons would become facilities where those incarcerated can receive help and tools to use when getting out instead of staying in the same system because of a lack of resources. As a result, an intervention based on practices of yoga, meditation, and mindfulness can be implemented in prisons, which would facilitate lower recidivism and a healthier environment that does not compromise rehabilitation but encourages it.
References
Derlic, D. (2020). A systematic review of literature: Alternative offender rehabilitation – Prison yoga, mindfulness, and meditation. Journal of Correctional Health Care, 26(4), 361-375. Web.
Gideon, L., & Sung, H. (2011). Rethinking corrections: Rehabilitation, reentry, and reintegration. SAGE Publications, Inc.
Hebrews 13:1-3. (n.d.). Bible Gateway. Web.
Kanchibhotla, D., Kulkarni, S., & Singh, S. (2020). Effectiveness of a comprehensive yoga program on convicted extremist offenders. International Journal of Yoga, 13(1), 50-54. Web.
Owen-Smith, A., Black, H., Emerson, D., Cotner, M., Smith, H., Jackson, D., Ford, J. D., De Bar, L., DiClemente, R., & Hayat, M. J. (2021). A pilot study to adapt a trauma-informed, mindfulness-based yoga intervention for justice-involved youth. International Journal of Yoga Therapy, 31(1), 18. Web.
Sfendla, A., Malmström, P., Torstensson, S., & Kerekes, N. (2018). Yoga practice reduces the psychological distress levels of prison inmates. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 9, 407. Web.
Willy-Gravley, S., Beauchemin, J., Pirie, P., Gomes, A., & Klein, E. (2021). A randomized controlled trial of yoga with incarcerated females: Impacts on emotion regulation, body dissociation, and warnings of substance relapse. Social Work Research, 45(1), 20-29. Web.