Programs > Correctional Facilities
Our work inside facilities
RAY’s correctional facilities work began in 2014, when Penny Ballantyne started a women’s yoga program at Dane County Jail. Today, every RAY facilitator who teaches inside has completed the Prison Yoga Project’s foundational training, and RAY is a formal affiliate of the Prison Yoga Project, which has supported system-impacted people through yoga and mindfulness since 2002.
Classes are free, and participation is always a choice. No one is asked to share their story. Inside, the practice is the same one people find in a senior center or community room: breath, movement, rest, and a group to belong to that reaches beyond the walls.
Robert E. Ellsworth Correctional Center
Trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness led by Prison Yoga Project facilitators for adult women incarcerated at Robert E. Ellsworth Correctional Center in Union Grove, WI. This minimum-security facility is part of the Wisconsin Women's Correctional System and provides programming and employment preparation to support community reentry.
Milwaukee Women's Correctional Center
Trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness for adult women incarcerated at Milwaukee Women's Correctional Center, a minimum-security facility within the Wisconsin Women's Correctional System. The center provides programming and opportunities to support women's return to their families and communities.
Metro High School
Yoga and mindfulness for justice-involved students ages 15-21 receiving high school education within Dane County Jail. Metro High is part of the Madison Metropolitan School District and provides individualized pathways toward graduation alongside support for students' social and emotional needs. Led by Prison Yoga Project facilitators.
Oakhill Correctional Institute
Yoga and mindfulness for adult men incarcerated at Oakhill Correctional Institution, a minimum-security Wisconsin of Corrections facility in Oregon, WI. Oakhill emphasizes preparation for community return through education, treatment, work opportunities, and prerelease programming. Led by Prison Yoga Project facilitators.
Milwaukee Women's Correctional Center
Trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness led by Prison Yoga Project facilitators for adult women incarcerated at Milwaukee Women's Correctional Center, a minimum-security facility within the Wisconsin Women's Correctional System. The center provides programming and opportunities to support women's return to their families and communities.
Dane County Jail
Weekly yoga and mindfulness sessions led by Prison Yoga Project facilitators for incarcerated fathers participating in Dane County Jail's Parenting Inside Out program. The partner program provides parenting education designed specifically for incarcerated parents, with an emphasis on communication, parenting skills, and maintaining family relationships.
GROW Academy
Yoga and mindfulness for youth under county or state supervision at The Grow Academy in Oregon, WI. Operated by Wisconsin's Division of Juvenile Corrections, this nonsecure residential program combines education, treatment, vocational learning, and family support as an alternative to incarceration or a step toward returning to the community. Led by Prison Yoga Project facilitators.
Dane County Jail
Trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness for men incarcerated at Dane County Jail in Madison. Offered in partnership with the Dane County Sheriff's Office and delivered at a 6-week program introducing participants to accessible practices that can be explored during incarceration and carried into daily life. Participants have the opportunity to repeat the program and serve as Mentors to newer participants. Led by Prison Yoga Project facilitators.