CLAUDIA, PRISON
YOGA
&
The class begins under fluorescent lights that cannot be turned off, on a usually cold tile/cement floor, on a variety of worn out or stained mats, with students scattered around tables and benches bolted to the floor. The population frequently changes, new students appear weekly, classes might be small (10-15) or large (up to 35); ability can vary from A-Z. At least once during the class, no matter what is happening, everyone has to count off. During a recent class, an exterminator with a tank and a wand wandered through. The students intently observe any distraction, the rules are cardinal, and students are hyper-alert to unusual sounds, changes, footsteps. Startling to me at first, but now a common occurrence, students often get up and leave throughout the duration of the class. Perhaps most challenging, in this class touching of anyone is not allowed. This is the setting for the weekly class I teach at the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Community Corrections Center (NWACCC), a women’s prison in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
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