What Yoga Behind Bars does

Yoga Behind Bars (YBB) is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 2008, that delivers trauma-informed yoga and meditation programs directly inside jails, prisons, and detention centers. It operates exclusively in Washington State across more than ten named facilities, including the Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW), Monroe Correctional Complex, Stafford Creek, Airway Heights, Echo Glen Children's Center, the Maleng Regional Justice Center, and the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac. Its programming is anchored by a proprietary trauma-informed yoga methodology that synthesizes yoga tradition, somatic practice, neuroscience, trauma research, mindfulness, and psychology, codified into a 12-hour virtual training, a 21-hour in-depth training, and a 6-month/125-hour Teacher Training Behind Bars program for incarcerated instructors.

The organization's product portfolio centers on three program lines: (1) Behind Bars — in-facility classes for incarcerated adults and youth taught by ~100 volunteer instructors and 9 incarcerated instructors, supplemented by specialty offerings such as a Trauma-Informed Prenatal Yoga training (delivered with Birth Beyond Bars) and a youth curriculum co-developed with the Holistic Life Foundation; (2) Beyond Bars — re-entry programming for people returning to community; and (3) a paid training business — multi-day Trauma-Informed Yoga Trainings delivered in-person in cities including Minneapolis, Spokane, Breitenbush, and Olympia, plus on-demand courses via the YBB Online platform hosted by Namastream.

YBB's revenue model is donation-led. It does not receive compensation from Washington State DOC/DSHS due to legal restrictions. Funding sources include individual one-time and monthly recurring gifts (the Luminary program), workplace giving (Microsoft, Boeing, Bank of America, City of Seattle, University of Washington), foundation grants (notably the inaugural 2011 RiverStyx Foundation grant), corporate sponsorships, stock and legacy planned gifts, peer-to-peer fundraising via Donor Support, training fees ($299 for 12-hour, $435-$635 sliding scale for 21-hour), and event revenue from Power of Community and similar fundraisers. Two PPP loans were secured during COVID-19. Leadership transitioned multiple times and is currently held by Co-Executive Directors Gabby and Zoe Barker-Aderem, named February 2022.

Name

Yoga Behind Bars

Legal name

Yoga Behind Bars

Website

https://yogabehindbars.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Yoga Behind Bars is a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2008 that delivers trauma-informed yoga and meditation directly inside Washington State jails, prisons, and detention centers, serving incarcerated adults, youth, and re-entering community members through ~100 volunteer instructors and a paid online training platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services — Trauma-Informed Yoga and Meditation in Corrections

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Yoga & Meditation Experiences (Studio Classes, Guided Meditation, Mindfulness) (THAJAHAA)

Keywords

• Trauma-informed yoga
• Prison rehabilitation programs
• Incarcerated youth services
• Criminal justice reform
• Meditation instruction

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Giving (one-time donations): One-time tax-deductible gifts from individual donors, with checks sent to PO Box 84494, Seattle, WA 98124 or processed via online donate pages.
2. Monthly Luminary Giving program: Recurring monthly donations providing sustainable, predictable revenue. Described as 'the most affordable and convenient way to make a big impact.'
3. Workplace Giving / Corporate Match: Gifts from employees at organizations including Microsoft, Boeing, Bank of America, City of Seattle, and the University of Washington, including corporate match for volunteer hours.
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Partnerships with companies and organizations that share YBB's commitment, leveraging donations and underwriting events.
5. Stock Gifts: Donors can give appreciated stock via donorsupport.co to leverage their impact.
6. Legacy / Planned Giving: Yoga Behind Bars named as beneficiary in wills, living trusts, life insurance, retirement plans; gift annuities and charitable trusts.
7. Foundation Grants: Capacity-building grants from foundations such as the RiverStyx Foundation (first major grant, July 2011).
8. Trauma-Informed Yoga Training fees: 12-Hour Virtual Training: $299 per participant. Earlier 21-Hour Virtual Training (2021) offered sliding scale at $435 (Access), $535 (Standard), and $635 (Sustaining) rates, plus scholarships for people of color and formerly incarcerated folks. Qualifies for Yoga Alliance CE credits.
9. Peer-to-peer / Community Fundraising: Individual supporters create fundraisers via donorsupport.co to raise money on YBB's behalf, including through 'Power of Community' events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Yoga Behind Bars is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers trauma-informed yoga and meditation classes directly inside jails, prisons, and detention centers in Washington State (Behind Bars) and supports re-entry through community programs (Beyond Bars). It complements these free in-facility services with paid Trauma-Informed Yoga Trainings (a 12-hour virtual and a 21-hour virtual/in-person version), an incarcerated-instructor pipeline (Teacher Training Behind Bars), and a specialty Trauma-Informed Prenatal Yoga Training delivered at Washington Corrections Center for Women.

Product overview

Yoga Behind Bars (YBB) is a single nonprofit organization rather than a multi-product software vendor; its offering is a portfolio of integrated programs and training products organized around trauma-informed yoga and meditation for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people. The portfolio centers on two core service programs — Behind Bars (in-facility classes in jails, prisons, and detention centers) and Beyond Bars (re-entry and post-release support) — together with a flagship Trauma-Informed Yoga Training (TIYT) offered both in person and as a Virtual Trauma-Informed Yoga Training on Zoom, and a specialty Teacher Training Behind Bars program that trains incarcerated people to teach inside their own facilities. The Trauma-Informed Prenatal Yoga Training at WCCW extends the curriculum to pregnant and post-partum students. The whole portfolio is reinforced by the YBB Online learning platform (hosted by Namastream), which delivers on-demand modules including 'How to Start a Prison Yoga Program,' and by community products such as the Luminary monthly giving program and the Power of Community annual fundraiser.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Luminary Program: Monthly donor/sustainer giving program for Yoga Behind Bars supporters.
• YBB Online
• Yoga Beyond Bars

Quantifiable outcome

• Only 8% of individuals who took 4 or more yoga classes returned to prison, compared to the national average of 60%
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, moderate, flagship and minor.

• Birth Beyond Bars (Patanjali de la Rocha)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Birth Beyond Bars (Patanjali de la Rocha) and Kimberleigh Weiss-Lewit to deliver a first-of-its-kind Trauma-Informed Prenatal Yoga training inside Washington Corrections Center for Women in November 2018. YBB incarcerated teachers had requested the training; facilitators worked with currently and recently pregnant/post-partum women at WCCW.
• Freedom Education Project Puget Sound (FEPPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-running partnership since at least 2015 to deliver an Intro to Trauma-Informed Yoga class for college credit at Washington Corrections Center for Women. Students work toward an Associate's degree with FEPPS; Patti and Rosa co-taught, later with Jess Frank.
• White BisonmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew partnership announced in late 2020 with White Bison, a national Native-American-led nonprofit 'dedicated to creating and sustaining a grassroots Wellbriety Movement that provides culturally based healing to the next seven generations of Indigenous People.' YBB incarcerated instructor Garridan Nelson collaborates with their trainers to offer yoga that complements the Wellbriety curriculum at Stafford Creek.
• Holistic Life FoundationcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHelped YBB build a new youth-centric, trauma-informed, evidence-based curriculum. Piloted with the start of YBB's first youth class in several years at Echo Glen Children's Center in October 2020.
• Social Venture Partners (SVP) Fast Pitch SeattlemoderateGTM or Marketing PartnerYBB won 1st place in the Established Nonprofit category at the SVP Fast Pitch Seattle Final Showdown at McCaw Hall (Oct 2016) and received a $20,000 in-kind award for storytelling/filmmaking services from SOULCRAFTallstars. Event sponsors included BECU, Microsoft, Starbucks, Amazon, Seattle Foundation, K&L Gates, Melling Family Foundation, Point B, Puget Sound Energy, and Pete's Wine Shop.
• NowThis Media / NowThis NewsflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerNowThis Media produced and released a powerful video about YBB's prison yoga classes in summer 2017. The video went viral, reaching over 9 million viewers and generating hundreds of inquiries for YBB's methodology.
• CallisonRTKL (Spark Week)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYBB participated in CallisonRTKL Seattle's annual Spark Week focused on design for inclusion. CallisonRTKL won best Spark Week Seattle proposal for a 'Yoga Beyond Bars' concept — a public yoga series in Seattle where incarcerated YBB teachers could teach outdoor classes via webcam.
• Microsoft (workplace giving partner)moderateGTM or Marketing PartnerReceives workplace giving gifts from Microsoft employees, including corporate matching for volunteer hours.
• Boeing (workplace giving partner)moderateGTM or Marketing PartnerReceives workplace giving gifts from Boeing employees.
• Bank of America (workplace giving partner)moderateGTM or Marketing PartnerReceives workplace giving gifts from Bank of America employees.
• City of Seattle (workplace giving partner)moderateGTM or Marketing PartnerReceives workplace giving gifts from City of Seattle employees.
• University of Washington (workplace giving partner)moderateGTM or Marketing PartnerReceives workplace giving gifts from University of Washington employees.
• Treatment First WAmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerJulian Saucier (YBB Executive Director) built YBB's advocacy and allyship muscle around criminal justice reform through a partnership with Treatment First WA.
• NamastreamcoreTechnology or IntegrationNamastream hosts the YBB Online learning platform (yogabehindbars.namastream.com), which delivers YBB's full Trauma-Informed Yoga Training and standalone modules globally.
• Yoga Service Council / Omega InstitutemoderateGTM or Marketing PartnerYBB's Executive Director Rosa Vissers presented 'An Introduction to Teaching Trauma-Informed Yoga' at the Yoga Service Council's annual Yoga Service Conference at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY.
• DAYA FoundationmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerYBB participated in the DAYA Foundation's first-ever Yoga CARE social justice conference and telesummit at Breitenbush Hot Springs (April 2017). Rosa Vissers had a featured conversation with Sarahjoy Marsh on 'The Surprising Importance of Disruption.'
• 8 Limbs YogamoderateGTM or Marketing Partner8 Limbs Yoga chose YBB as a recipient of donations from Jessamyn Stanley's benefit classes. Funds support YBB's programs alongside 8 Limbs' yoga teacher training scholarship fund for people of color, LGBTQ+, and other under-represented groups.
• Jessamyn StanleymoderateGTM or Marketing PartnerYoga teacher and author Jessamyn Stanley visited WCCW as a guest speaker, co-leading a class with incarcerated YBB teacher Marriam and engaging in Q&A with 30 women. Her book 'Every Body Yoga' was signed by attendees.
• SOULCRAFTallstarsmoderateGTM or Marketing PartnerSOULCRAFTallstars (Brandon Sawaya) provides pro-bono and in-kind filmmaking/storytelling for YBB. Awarded YBB a $20,000 in-kind award at SVP Fast Pitch 2016, and produced the film focusing on incarcerated trainee Marriam.
• Kevmo Productions (Kevin Philbin)moderateGTM or Marketing PartnerFilmmaker Kevin Philbin of Kevmo Productions created the 4-part 'Peace is an Inside Job' video series featuring YBB instructor Greg at Clallam Bay, plus the 1-minute short about Greg and YBB's 10-year anniversary video.
• Donor Support (aynrwmde.donorsupport.co)coreTechnology or IntegrationDonor Support powers YBB's online fundraising pages for individual giving, stock gifts, peer-to-peer fundraisers, and the Power of Community / Sound Bath and Soul Skate events.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Emerging players

• Freedom Education Project Puget Sound: Nonprofit offering college-credit courses to incarcerated women at WCCW, with whom YBB has long-running co-teaching partnerships. Peer because it sits at the same intersection of higher education and trauma-informed programming inside Washington prisons.
• Birth Beyond Bars: Organization partnered with YBB to deliver the first-of-its-kind Trauma-Informed Prenatal Yoga training at WCCW. Peer because of the same incarcerated pregnant-people population and the prenatal support mission.

Others

• Black Yoga Alliance: Alliance promoting Black yoga teachers and practitioners and addressing racial-equity concerns within the yoga industry. Tangentially related as an ecosystem participant that amplifies BIPOC participation — YBB grew BIPOC training participation 50% under Julian Saucier.

Direct peers

• Liberation Prison Yoga: Nonprofit offering trauma-informed yoga inside prisons and jails, with a teacher training program explicitly modeled for incarcerated settings. Direct peer because of the shared focus on trauma-informed methodology and incarcerated populations.
• White Bison: Native-American-led nonprofit providing culturally based healing (Wellbriety Movement) inside correctional facilities; active partner of YBB at Stafford Creek. Peer because it operates the recovery/healing programming layer adjacent to YBB's yoga instruction.
• Holistic Life Foundation: Nonprofit that co-developed YBB's youth trauma-informed curriculum and runs its own mindfulness/yoga programs in schools, prisons, and recovery settings. Direct peer because of overlapping youth-and-adult correctional programming and an active partnership with YBB.
• Prison Yoga Project: National nonprofit that trains yoga teachers to bring trauma-informed yoga to prisons, with online and in-person teacher trainings. Closest direct peer to YBB given overlapping mission, methodology, and target audience of incarcerated adults and the practitioners who serve them.
• Mind Body Awareness Project: Nonprofit delivering mindfulness-based interventions to youth impacted by the juvenile justice system, including in detention. Direct peer to YBB's youth-detention programming at Echo Glen Children's Center and other juvenile facilities.
• The Center for Mindfulness and Justice: Organization providing mindfulness and meditation programs inside Washington State prisons, including at Stafford Creek — directly comparable to YBB in geography, target population, and modality of practice.

Broad incumbents

• Yoga Service Council / Omega Institute: National yoga-service coalition that hosts the annual Yoga Service Conference at the Omega Institute, where YBB has presented. Peer because it convenes the broader trauma-informed-yoga-in-service community and shapes the field in which YBB operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=Dic1Bzl4Cw0
• Facebookfacebook.com/YogaBehindBars
• Instagraminstagram.com/yogabehindbars
• Xx.com/yogabehindbars

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Yoga Behind Bars