Since its inception, The Art of Yoga Project has collected rich anecdotal evidence that demonstrates its success in helping girls at-risk. More recently, we have begun to move beyond qualitative observation and have designed a full scale research agenda that will systematically analyze the impact that The Art of Yoga Project has on the girls we serve. This research agenda includes a rigorous quantitative approach that combines the use of standardized measures for pre and post treatment surveys; in depth, semi-structured interviews with the girls as they leave each facility, quarterly program feedback questionnaires, and; periodic interviews with custodial staff.
We are currently collaborating with researchers from Stanford University’s Psychology Department and San Jose State University’s Center for Justice Research, Policy, and Training and Department of Justice Studies.
Our goal is to evaluate the impact of the Yoga and Creative Arts Curriculum on the girls we serve, as well as assessing its effects in the broader community. We also strive to further contribute to the small but growing body of empirical literature on the effectiveness of yoga and mindfulness-based interventions, gender responsive treatment alternatives, and other issues surrounding young women in custody. Dissemination of this research is a final objective and we are moving in this direction with a publication in the International Journal of Yoga Therapy as well as forthcoming conference presentations.