Feasibility of state prisons for incorporating yoga for women inmates
Feasibility of state prisons for incorporating yoga for prison inmates-by ShareLove.Fund’s Rainbow Women Social Enterprise endeavor and sponsored by your generous donations.
Yoga and meditation have been integral in reducing stress, anxiety, lowering the levels of depression among female prison inmates. With a rise in incarceration rates, inmates must be provided with adequate means for rehabilitation and recovery. According to a recent study, there has been an eight time increase in the incarceration of women in state and federal prisons.
https://www.aclu.org/other/facts-about-over-incarceration-women-united-states
State prisons must ensure the feasibility of incorporating programs that benefit women prison inmates, especially menstruating women and pregnant women. There have been developments in providing yoga and meditation programs for female prison inmates in state prisons. The Prison Yoga Project is one such program that caters to the psychological and physiological well-being of inmates.
Strategies and Programs for incorporating yoga for Female prison inmates
Rehabilitation is a process of connecting to the self through counselling, yoga, meditation which enables inmates to make changes within themselves and gain self-awareness. What is the significance of the practice of yoga in state prisons? Correctional Facilities must engage with this question. Let us look at the various programs for catalysing the recovery of female prison inmates.
Yoga Behind Bars– The program is based on the concept of trauma-informed yoga, which addresses issues related to trauma and anxiety which stem from past experiences of abuse. More than 2.2 million people in the United States are imprisoned. The project focuses on the prevention of recidivism and the recurrence of traumatization. Trauma-sensitive yoga fastens the process of recovery and rehabilitation. The organization offers support at several places in Washington.
Liberation Prison Yoga –This program brings to prison inmates an informed view of yoga and the benefits. Under the purview of the program, instructors are educated on how to incorporate yoga within the confines of prisons. They conduct weekly classes at the Bedford Hills Maximum Security Correctional Facility.
We shall now look at the type of environment which fosters a holistic recovery for female prison inmates.
Creating a Safe Environment for Women in State Prison
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDC) has formulated a curriculum on the training of Incarcerated Women:
Health and Hygiene– In the handbook, Hygiene and Healthcare are essential factors that must be taken into account while planning a module of recovery for women inmates. Maintaining basic requirements such as availability of water constantly and measures for supporting menstruating and pregnant women.
Mental Health –Maintaining a healthy surrounding for the psychological healing of individuals is especially crucial concerning women. Separation from families for long-duration negatively impacts their mental health. Many women have been prey to sexual abuse, which leaves a dent in their psyche. Therefore, it becomes significant that women are imprisoned in such a setting that does not threaten their sense of security.
https://www.unodc.org/documents/ropan/Manuales/Training_Curriculum_on_Women_and_Imprisonment_v1.pdf
State prisons may incorporate yoga and meditation activities by collaborating with the projects mentioned above. However, the state correctional facilities must create an environment free of hostility and build a sense of community feeling within the prison inmates. It will ensure the rehabilitation and recovery of the female inmates on a larger scale.