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Finding balance behind bars
22 December 2025
The beautiful Riverina town of Junee has long been famous for two things: Canberra Raiders legend and current NSW State of Origin coach Laurie Daley and Junee Licorice & Chocolate. Actually, make that three, because the Roundhouse Railway Museum has long held the title of ‘the largest roundhouse in the southern hemisphere’.
Now, Junee Correctional Centre is adding another claim to fame for the town, becoming the first male correctional centre in NSW to introduce a dedicated yoga program for inmates. Yoga on the Inside has run successfully in women’s centres, but this marks its first step inside a male facility.
Yoga is most often associated with mindfulness retreats, inner-city studios and wellness influencers, but over the last few weeks it has been embraced by a very different group – men doing time in a correctional centre 450kms west of Sydney.
“For many of the men this is their first experience with yoga or structured mindfulness activities,’ Kellie Pincott, Senior Service Integration Manager said.
“But early feedback from the men indicates improved mood, reduced stress levels, better sleep and even increased patience.”
Rehabilitation, reducing reoffending and helping people return to the community are the focus of correctional centres in NSW. Yoga fits perfectly with these goals – building strength, boosting mental wellbeing and encouraging mindfulness. These skills help the men manage stress, stay resilient and develop self-control, all vital for turning a new page in life.
“I’m loving this class,” one inmate said.
“I am really trying to learn to block out exterior noise and ways to centre myself. This has been very helpful.”
Yoga is now practiced by more than one million Australians, making it one of our most popular wellness activities – and one of our most lucrative with devotees spending nearly $600 million on equipment, clothing and classes. For the men inside the Junee Correctional Centre yoga isn’t a luxury, it’s a lifeline to inner peace and beginning again.
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