A cognitive prerequisite for education and (re)entry into the labor market is the ability to concentrate for a long period. Conducted with 39 participants, the present study examines the effect of a six-week dance-like martial arts program on prisoners' concentration ability in an open prison in Germany (n=15), and compares their concentration…

The paper presents the Asseblywomen Project, conducted by Papalangki Theatre Company during 2020-2021 at the Women's Prison in Eleonas (Greece). Using as rehearsal material the comedy play "The Assemblywomen" by Aristophanes, the project aimed to encourage the participation of ex-drug addicted inmate women at the rehabilitation process,…

When facilitating group art therapy for young adult male inmates in prison, response art helped an art therapist to build therapeutic bonds and maintain self-care. Both artmaking in-session and post-session enabled the art therapist to traverse relational distance, nurture trust, and create social bonds in the group. By reflecting on her response…

Objective: The present study describes the development of the Indiana Prison Writers Workshop (IPWW), a creative writing workshop, based in group theory and designed for incarcerated settings. Methods: Quantitative evaluation data from IPWW workshops conducted from 2023-2024 were analyzed using IBM SPSS V. 29. Prior to the workshop, 149 men…

Introduction: Peer health education programs for adolescents in schools and for adults in prison are effective at increasing health knowledge and improving leadership skills. However, there have been no peer health education programs in juvenile detention facilities despite proven benefit in similar environments. We created a pilot study to…

The United States has the highest number of people per capita in detention centers when compared to all other nations in the world. Stigma exists against people with justice system involvement, resulting in discrimination by healthcare providers and students and ultimately health inequities. This convergent mixed-methods study aimed to impact…

A primary focus within the field of higher education in prison is to ensure that federal, state, and institution-level polices helping to develop and sustain programs remain durable. Current justifications for policies in support of programs often rely on a predominantly recidivist lens, advocating for programs on the grounds of their likelihood…

Research indicates that meditation-based programs can be rehabilitative for incarcerated populations. Specifically, these programs can help promote positive well-being, reduce recidivism, and help with relapse. This article reviews the effectiveness of existing research on meditation-based programs in correctional populations. The results of…

Our research evaluates the effectiveness of a community musical learning exchange (MLE) that included group singing, guided conversations, and reflection. The respondents (N = 290) who participated in the MLE included members of the Soweto Gospel Choir (n = 17), Soweto Gospel Choir Crew (n = 3), prison choir incarcerated singers (n = 41), prison…

This study addresses two areas of need in the literature. First, we recognize the impact of experiential-learning on student outcomes and fewer opportunities within the social sciences. Second, as academics in criminal justice and education, we are aware of educational needs of incarcerated persons. The current study blended together…

While proponents claimed Response to Intervention (RtI) improved student learning and prevented failure, there was an absence of research in effectiveness. Applying action research within a case study, there was an investigation into the process of reforming and improving RtI within a short-term juvenile detention center in the Midwest of the…

Music has been welcomed to juvenile justice institutions as a transformative practice supporting the rehabilitation of youth offenders to citizens. However, acknowledging that such institutions are not neutral instruments of the law but political arenas within which notions of ideal citizenship are imposed and contested, the transformative work of…

The Open University (OU) has around 1800 students studying in prisons (Students in Secure Environments, 2019) with no internet access. They study offline with no access to the OU library's online resources. This case study explores the student volunteer scheme introduced to help students in prison to indirectly access online library resources. It…

There are currently an estimated 1.1 million juveniles involved with the juvenile justice system. Of that steadily-climbing number, a high percentage will be rearrested, readjudicated, or recommitted to a facility, program, or group home. Although many researchers have studied the factors influencing juvenile criminology and recidivism rates in…

With the recent approval of the Second Chance Pell Program and a proposal to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, a shift is occurring in favor of expanding educational opportunities to incarcerated adults. As reform to the criminal justice system becomes a focus, there is an immediate need to study the dynamic relationship between community…