Corrections_Today_November_December_2022_Vol.84_No.6

I sat outside the Recreational Program office in the large gym during recreation. Steven, a 17-year-old who attended a few Agitated to Elevated classes stood flipping through papers I gave him related to meditation and yoga. “You leave prison a better person or a better crimi nal. Ms. Gooch, you help us become better people,” he said. It has been established through a combination of academic and clinical case studies that yoga, medita tion and writing classes separately in prisons and jails bring about decreased stress and increased resilience to stressors for incarcerated youth and adults. Agi tated to Elevated combines all three elements . Thus, expediting the process of self-awareness and providing an entry point for all participants. Agitated to Elevated is an innovative, trauma sensitive program that can transform incarcerated youth and adults through a holistic approach towards gaining self-awareness. Participants learn and imple ment tools to self-regulate their nervous system which can reduce depression, impulsivity and anxiety while increasing prosocial behavior and normalizing sleep patterns, therefore, fostering a safer and more positive environment within the facility. Agitated to Elevated also equips incarcerated individuals to face challenges that arise in academic and workplace settings, both inside and outside of the prison. After yoga and guided meditation based on the theme of that day, participants feel safer in the classroom, their parasympathetic nervous system is activated affording them the luxury to engage their prefrontal cortex, thus yielding creative thoughts and therefore creative writing, upon being prompted.

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Background image: istock/gan chaonan; Yoga poses line art: istock/ illustration.dkrt; Lotus line art: istock/ lightkitegirl

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