Yoga in prisons: A review of the literature

• We review the extant literature on yoga and how it may be of benefit to correctional systems.
• Methodological strengths and weaknesses of the literature are highlighted.
• We propose yoga may aid rehabilitative practices through alleviating some common risk factors and bolstering responsivity.
• Methodological improvements are recommended that would improve yoga research in forensic and correctional settings.

Yoga is becoming increasingly commonplace in many correctional institutions around the world. Unfortunately, despite the prevalence of yoga classes, there has not been a great deal of high quality research outlining the benefits that yoga may bring to incarcerated individuals. This review highlights the methodological strengths and weaknesses of the extant literature and outlines how yoga may be of use in rehabilitation efforts. Although more work is required, the current state of the literature suggests that yoga may be able to help with the rehabilitation of offenders. Yoga has been shown to improve some key variables related to offending (e.g., impulsivity, aggression), as well as showing improvements on variables that could increase offenders' abilities to participate in treatments that are specifically aimed at reducing their risk of criminal behavior (e.g., depression, attention, emotional regulation). Considering the potential that yoga has to add to rehabilitative endeavors, it is in the interests of the correctional field to conduct methodologically robust studies on yoga's outcomes, so that we more precisely determine its potential benefits for offenders, and consequently to the wider community, including through its potential role in reducing offending.