Apart from anything else, since there are only four prisons in South Yorkshire out of a UK total of around one hundred and forty, it is highly unlikely that 'a good proportion' of the money spent nationally will have been spent in South Yorkshire.
Furthermore, as the only yoga teacher working in a South Yorkshire prison, I would dare to suggest that the provision of yoga classes for inmates is beneficial to the prison population, simply because yoga helps to teach people to control their aggressive behaviour and manage their anger. It helps people cope with their cravings.

By learning relaxation techniques and meditation, prisoners can address their own feelings of depression, anger and worthlessness.

Yoga can help to re-educate their attitudes towards society with the result that prisoners can actually become useful members of society.

All human beings need practical, positive aspirations and encouragement in order to function effectively.

The prison population is disproportionately made up of people who have suffered psychological or sexual abuse, drug or alcohol dependency, social or economic deprivation, low levels of educational achievement and emotional awareness combined with high levels of violence and aggression.

Given that the courts have decided to imprison such people, therapies such as yoga provide an opportunity for prisoners to take stock of their lives and even give them the tools to bring about positive changes to their behaviour.

J FitzPatrick
Axholme Road
Doncaster