Mindfulness and Social Control in the Therapeutic Community: The Experiences of Parolees Learning Yoga in a Half Way House

California is continually looking for new ways to tackle the problem of recidivism and reduce prison populations. Unfortunately, once an individual comes into contact with the prison system, he or she will likely have more than one encounter. There are numerous programs and services in place with the goal of reforming these ex-prisoners. The Therapeutic Community (TC) is one example of reform. This research takes a qualitative look at the experiences of men introduced to Mindfulness/Yoga while residing at a post-prison TC. Both the TC and Mindfulness/Yoga are used to teach these men new behaviors before they return to the community. Eleven men participated in one on one interviews about their overall TC experience, and their experiences with practicing new techniques like Mindfulness/Yoga. Testimonies revealed layered responses about conforming or resisting both forms of social control. Overall, Mindfulness/Yoga was experienced positively as a milder form of social control within the control regime of recovery. This softer approach produced opportunities to for men to create a since of body autonomy within the restrictions of the TC. Implications of these findings for program designers are discussed.Sociological Practic