Evaluation of a Prison Informal Personal Education Community Re-entry Program

Background: The Sentencing Project (no date) estimates that in the United States there are currently about 2.2 million people in jail or prison. Most will be released, but as many as 47 percent will return to prison within... [ view full abstract ]

Background:
The Sentencing Project (no date) estimates that in the United States there are currently about 2.2 million people in jail or prison. Most will be released, but as many as 47 percent will return to prison within three years. Education is one of the most effective reducers of recidivism, but it is unclear what kinds of education best prepare people to return to society.
Method:
This study explored how 27 residents of a minimum-security prison perceived and responded to an informal occupational therapy educational re-entry program (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2014). The primary investigator and 3 former program participants used the participatory action research approach to interview 27 residents who completed the program. Interviews were transcribed, de-identified and analysed.
Results:
Initial summative content analysis yielded five concepts: Doing (engaging in purposeful activities); information (value of handouts); re-entry fears (making amends and reuniting with family and friends); technology (using smartphones, internet and other technology in all areas of occupation); and self-worth (having a value in spite of being in prison). Further interpretation yielded three themes: doing (engaged in purposeful activities), validation of self-worth (confirmation of being a valued human being), and concerns about the future (being able to successfully engage in virtually all occupations).
Conclusion:
Informal personal education programs that include a classroom milieu that offers opportunities for meaningful social contact may help people who are incarcerated successfully re-enter society.
Application to Practice:
Further research to examine the effectiveness of an informal occupational therapy education program is warranted.