An evaluation of a yoga program designed for correctional administrators and officers

Abstract

Administrators and officers of the correctional system are charged with numerous professional responsibilities designed to reinforce institutional order and security. Exposure to dangerous working conditions can negatively impact their physical and mental health. To date, a large body of research has examined interventions designed to improve inmate physical and mental well-being, with a dearth of studies on correctional staff. To address this gap, the current study examines the impact of a comprehensive yoga program with an educational component for correctional staff. A mixed methodological design was used to assess responses from officers and administrators (N = 47) working in a detention center located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Findings revealed that participants universally endorsed the yoga program, with qualitative results indicating a reduction in stress, anxiety levels, and bodily discomfort. Participants found that engagement in a yoga program led to increased consideration of other areas of potential health deficits, particularly diet and lifestyle habits. This is the first study of a yoga program occurring in a detention center, with staff and administrators supporting the impact of a short-term health intervention. These results are discussed with reference to policies targeted at improving correctional staff health and wellness.

Keywords:

• correctional officer
• correctional administrator
• health and wellness
• yoga
• meditation

Notes

1 These estimates were provided on behalf of detention center administrative staff following personal communications with the research team, and reflect the average daily inmate population between July 14, 2020 and October 7, 2020 (the data collection period that shall be referenced in greater detail below). Population estimates resulted by summing the total number of inmates housed each day across this three-month period, followed then by dividing that number by 86 (the total number of days within these three months). Administrators also informed the research team that individuals arrested for felonies, on average, remain in custody for 248 days, while those arrested for misdemeanors, instead, are incarcerated for up to 155 days.

2 Of the three detention center staff who did not participate in the class, two were unavailable since they had just been hired and were undergoing academy training, while only one refused.

3 Further details concerning specific job assignments of the officers and administrators, largely because of our relatively smaller sample size, could not be obtained as acquisition of such data would violate participant anonymity and confidentiality. Future studies interested in exploring the effects of mindfulness and yoga programs on correctional staff wellbeing are encouraged to recruit additional sample members in order to reduce the possibility of subject identification.

4 Introduced in 1957, the National Health Interview Survey provides annual statistics on the health conditions of U.S. citizens, with findings used to inform epidemiological policies targeted at improving their health and wellness. Measures included in the questionnaire continuously display superior psychometric properties that underscore the reliability and validity of the entire instrument.