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"I Would Just Feel Really Relaxed and at Peace": Findings From a Pilot Prison Yoga Program in Australia

Bartels, Lorana; Oxman, Lisa; Hopkins, Anthony

Description

International research provides support for yoga as a well-being intervention in prison. No systematic research has been undertaken in Australia to assess the effectiveness of prison yoga programs. In 2017, the authors, in partnership with Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Corrective Services and the Yoga Foundation, introduced a weekly pilot yoga program at the ACT prison. This article presents quantitative and qualitative findings from the program. Although the small sample size (n = 8) is...[Show more]

dc.contributor.authorBartels, Lorana
dc.contributor.authorOxman, Lisa
dc.contributor.authorHopkins, Anthony
dc.date.accessioned2020-04-02T04:08:01Z
dc.identifier.issn0306-624X
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1885/202670
dc.description.abstractInternational research provides support for yoga as a well-being intervention in prison. No systematic research has been undertaken in Australia to assess the effectiveness of prison yoga programs. In 2017, the authors, in partnership with Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Corrective Services and the Yoga Foundation, introduced a weekly pilot yoga program at the ACT prison. This article presents quantitative and qualitative findings from the program. Although the small sample size (n = 8) is acknowledged, our findings indicate that participants attained statistically and clinically significant benefit from the program, demonstrated by improvements in their levels of depression, anxiety, self-esteem, goal-direction, negative affect, and non-acceptance. They also reported improved flexibility, sleep and relaxation, pain reduction, and identified improvements in their mental well-being, commenting that the program made them feel "calm" and "at peace." The article concludes by advocating for the expansion of such programs in Australian prisons and further research on such programs.
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.language.isoen_AU
dc.publisherSage Publications Inc
dc.rights© The Author(s) 2019
dc.sourceInternational Journal of Offender Therapy and Criminology
dc.title"I Would Just Feel Really Relaxed and at Peace": Findings From a Pilot Prison Yoga Program in Australia
dc.typeJournal article
local.description.notesImported from ARIES
local.identifier.citationvolume63
dc.date.issued2019
local.identifier.absfor160202 - Correctional Theory, Offender Treatment and Rehabilitation
local.identifier.ariespublicationu4141711xPUB6
local.publisher.urlhttps://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/home
local.type.statusPublished Version
local.contributor.affiliationBartels, Lorana, University of Canberra
local.contributor.affiliationOxman, Lisa, University of Canberra
local.contributor.affiliationHopkins, Anthony, ANU College of Law, ANU
local.description.embargo2037-12-31
local.bibliographicCitation.issue15-16
local.bibliographicCitation.startpage2531
local.bibliographicCitation.lastpage2549
local.identifier.doi10.1177/0306624X19854869
dc.date.updated2019-11-25T07:48:33Z
CollectionsANU Research Publications

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