Resources > Incarceration Across the U.S.
The resources listed below provide extensive research, interactive data, and information about incarceration, the U.S. criminal justice system, and reform efforts.
Prison Policy Initiative
The Prison Policy Initiative is a non-profit, non-partisan research and advocacy organization focused on documenting and publicizing the harms of mass incarceration in the United States.
Families for Justice Reform
Families for Justice Reform (FAMM) is a national non-partisan advocacy organization dedicated to creating a more fair and effective justice system by challenging lengthy, mandatory sentences and promoting sentencing and prison reform.
The Marshall Project
The Marshall Project is a non-profit, non-partisan news organization that aims to impact the criminal justice system through journalism and render it more fair, effective, transparent, and humane.
The Sentencing Project
The Sentencing Project is a non-profit organization focused on criminal justice reform. It works to reduce incarceration rates; promote racial, ethnic, economic, and gender justice; and minimize the criminalization of youth and adults
Recommended Readings > Mass Incarceration
Prison Nation: The Warehousing of America's Poor by Tara Herivel and Paul Wright
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Y. Davis
From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime: The Making of Mass Incarceration in America by Elizabeth Hinton
Mass Imprisonment: Social Causes and Consequences by David Garland
Golden Gulag: Prisons, Surplus, Crisis, and Opposition in Globalizing California by Ruth Wilson Gilmore
Mass Supervision: Probation, Parole, and the Illusion of Safety and Freedom by Vincent Schiraldi
Recommended Readings > Gender, LGBTQIA+ Issues, & Incarceration
Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools by Monique W. Morris
Inside This Place, Not of It: Narratives From Women's Prisons by Robin Levi and Ayelet Waldman
Arrested Justice: Black Women, Violence, and America's Prison Nation by Beth E. Richie
Captive Genders: Trans Embodiment and the Prison Industrial Complex by Eric Stanley and Nat Smith
Queer (In)Justice: The Criminalization of LGBT People in the United States by Andrea Ritchie, Joey Mogul, and Kay Whitlock
Recommended Readings > Youth, Education, & Incarceration
The School-To-Prison Pipeline: Education, Discipline, and Racialized Double Standards by Nancy A. Heitzeg
From Education to Incarceration: Dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline by Priya Parmar, Anthony J. Nocella II, & David Stovall
Education for Liberation: The Politics of Promise and Reform Inside and Beyond America's Prisons by Gerard Robinson and Elizabeth English Smith
Can restorative justice disrupt the 'school-to-prison pipeline'? by Mara Schiff
Children of the State: Stories of Survival and Hope in the Juvenile Justice System by Jeff Hobbs
The Deepest Well: Healing the Long Term Effects of Childhood Adversity by Nadine Burke Harris
Recommended Readings > Indigeneity & Incarceration
Inventing the Savage: The Social Construction of Native American Criminality by Luana Ross
The Indigenous Justice System: Over-incarceration of Indigenous People and the Need for Cultural Humility by the University of Alabama at Birmingham
Over-Incarceration of Native Americans: Roots, Inequities, and Solutions by the Safety and Justice Challenge
Tribal Disparities in Youth Incarceration by The Sentencing Project
Recommended Readings > RAY Team Recommendations
We Grow the World Together: Parenting Toward Abolition by Maya Schenwar & Kim Wilson
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
Chasing the Scream: The First and Last days of the War on Drugs by Johann Hari
My Grandmothers Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Our hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction by Gabor Maté
The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness and Healing in a Toxic Culture by Gabor Maté
Resources > Re-Entry
Part of our mission is to provide a bridge for those in incarceration facilities to services upon re-entry into society. While yoga resources are detailed below, here are some additional resources to a variety of services both nationally and specific to Wisconsin.
The National Reentry Resource Center (NRRC) is a national hub for information and resources on prisoner re-entry. The NRRC provides education, training, and technical assistance to various stakeholders, including state, local, and tribal governments, service providers, and correctional institutions, to support successful prisoner re-entry and reduce recidivism.
CareerOneStop ReEntry is a specialized version of the CareerOneStop website, designed to provide resources for individuals with criminal records re-entering the workforce. It offers tools, information, and guidance to help with career exploration, training, and job searching, specifically tailored for those transitioning from incarceration.
The Wisconsin State Department of Corrections Reentry Programs and Initiatives provide support with employment assistance and job training, housing, and substance abuse & mental health treatment. Additionally, they offer community-based services, educational opportunities, and case management to address individual needs and promote self-sufficiency.
National Alliance on Mental Health - Dane County Re-entry focuses on supporting individuals with mental health conditions as they return to the community after incarceration. They aim to ensure these individuals have access to necessary resources and support to successfully reintegrate into society, reduce recidivism, and promote overall wellness.
JustDane is a non-profit organization based in Dane County, Wisconsin, that works to address social justice issues and provide support services to individuals and families impacted by the criminal justice system. Its work includes prison re-entry programs, support for children with incarcerated parents, and community education initiatives to promote understanding of the challenges faced by those re-entering society. Check out their monthly Reentry Fair on the third Tuesday of every month from 5-6:30pm at the Madison College Goodman South Campus, 2429 Perry St.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison provides re-entry services including support with education, housing, employment, income, expenses & benefits, identification, legal questions, tax guidance, voting, parenting, health & wellness, insurance, and future planning.
Resources > Yoga
Yoga Studios
Inner Fire Yoga 5003 University Ave & 1813 E Washington Ave (Madison, WI)
Main Street Yoga Center 1882 E Main St. (Madison, WI)
Main Street Yoga and Wellness 121 N Main St. (Oregon, WI)
Perennial Yoga 3241 Garver Green STE 250 (Madison, WI) & 5500 E Cheryl Pkwy Suite 101 (Fitchburg, WI)
Online Yoga
Yoga With Adrienne And her awesome dog, Benji
Gaiam Yoga We like Rodney Yee
Erica Rascon We love that she’s into the environment too!
Dianne Bondy Yoga We love her focus on accessibility
EXPAND Connect Yoga With Cass Hanson, a Madison local!
Free & Low-Cost Community Yoga
Goodman Community Center 214 Waubesa St $5 per class, no sign-up required
Sukha Somatics 312 N Third St #2 (Madison, WI) $12 per class, sign-up ahead of time
Madison Outdoor Yoga Free with donation option, sign-up ahead of time
Monona Terrace Yoga Core & Meditation Free, sign-up ahead of time
Want to Be a PYP Facilitator?
Then check out PYP’s Trauma-Informed Training. It will provide you with the information and skills needed to work with incarcerated folks and justice-impacted communities. Participants gain deep insight into the effects of trauma and learn how to apply yoga as a powerful tool for healing and empowerment within the criminal justice system. This training also includes a focus on empathy, compassion, and personal accountability for justice-impacted individuals.
Recommended Readings > Yoga
Embrace Yoga’s Roots: Courageous Ways to Deepen Your Yoga Practice by Susanna Barkataki
The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice by T.K.V. Desikachar
Yoga for Inmates: Repairing, recharging and revitalizing your physical, emotional and spiritual self during incarceration by Shashi K. Agarwal
Yoga for Everyone: 50 Poses for Every Type of Body by Dianne Bondy
Accessible Yoga: Poses and Practices for Every Body by Jivana Heyman
Every Body Yoga: Let Go of Fear, Get On the Mat, Love Your Body by Jessamyn Stanley
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk
Yoga Anatomy: Your Illustrated Guide to Postures, Movements, and Breathing Techniques by Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews
The Wakeful Body: Somatic Mindfulness as a Path to Freedom by Willa Blythe Baker
The Yoga of Parenting: 10 Yoga-Based Practices to Help You Stay Grounded, Connect With Your Kids, and Be Kind to Yourself by Sarah Ezrin
The Luminous Self: Sacred Yogic Practices & Rituals to Remember Who You Are by Tracee Stanley