Literature Review on Yoga and meditation in prisons

Resumen

There are testimonies reporting the benefits of yoga and meditation practice in prisons, both from inmates who have accessed these programs and from prison staff and collaborators. However, it is difficult to quantify the true impact of these techniques on the well-being and behavior of inmates, on the one hand due to the inherent dynamics of the penitentiary system, and on the other because many of these effects are subjective and intangible. In this article, I aim to analyze relevant literature critically that examines various yoga and meditation projects in prisons in various parts of the world. Although further research is needed, especially interdisciplinary studies, the reviewed works provide evidence of the feasibility of yoga and meditation programs in prisons, their advantageous cost-benefit ratio, their role in reducing recidivism rates, and the multiple positive effects of these projects on both the prison and broader social environment.