Evaluations

Prison Arts Resource Project

The Prison Arts Resource Project (PARP) is an annotated bibliography of evidence-based studies evaluating the impact of arts programs in U.S. correctional settings. Each of the 48 entries includes information about the arts program as well as the study research goals, methods and a summary of findings. Adult offender and juvenile offender programs are ... read on →

Authors Amanda Gardner, Lori L. Hager, Grady Hillman (Southwestern Correctional Arts Network; University of Oregon)

Published June 2014

Artforms Craft, Creative Writing, Dance, Drama, Media, Mixed Media, Multi-Arts, Music, Needlework, Radio, Visual Arts

Participant type Male and Female Adult Offenders

Write to be Heard: Supporting Offender Learning through Creative Writing

The report explores the impact of a creative writing programme developed to engage ‘hard to reach’ learners in prison.   The mechanism was a creative writing competition, incorporating a schedule of workshops in 28 prisons, encouraging entrants to write pieces for broadcast on National Prison Radio (NPR).  Using qualitative and quantitative ... read on →

Authors Jane Hurry, Patrice Lawrence, Jessica Plant, Anita Wilson (Arts Alliance)

Published March 2014

Artform Creative Writing

Organisation Arts Alliance   Project venue Prisons around the UK

Participant type Male and Female Adult Offenders

The Melting Pot: Evaluation

A three-year creative writing and mentoring project working at the DSPD Unit, HMP Frankland. The report shows how the project contributed to the overall well-being of men in the Unit and contributed to the rehabilitation programme. Section 2 includes a Replicability Model and the development of performance indicators and an ... read on →

Author Caroline O'Keefe (Hallam Centre for Community Justice, Sheffield Hallam University; Sheffield Hallam University)

Published December 2013

Artform Creative Writing

Organisation Writers in Prison Network   Project venue Frankland

Participant type Male Adult Offenders

Re-imagining futures: Exploring arts interventions and the process of desistance

Carried out by Northumbria University and Bath Spa University, this report highlights examples of how the arts can support positive changes linked to personal agency, efficacy and identity, which are linked to the highly individualised journey of desistance from criminal behaviour. Key findings show that participation in arts activities enables ... read on →

Authors Charlotte Bilby, Laura Caulfield, Louise Ridley

Published November 2013

Artforms Craft, Creative Writing, Music, Visual Arts

Organisation Arts Alliance

Participant type Male and Female Adult Offenders

Sample size: 30

An Evaluation of a Pilot Study of a Literature-Based Intervention with Women in Prison

This study investigated whether ‘Get Into Reading’, a literature-based intervention, which had been established in other custodial contexts and non-custodial mental health settings in the UK transposed to a female prison; HMP Low Newton, and whether any of the benefits identified in custodial and non-custodial contexts elsewhere were reported by ... read on →

Authors Josie Billington, Jude Robinson (University of Liverpool)

Published 2012

Artform Creative Writing

Organisations National Personality Disorder Team, The Reader Organisation, University of Liverpool   Project venue HMP Low Newton

Participant type Female Adult Offenders

Inspiring Change: Final Project Report of the Evaluation Team

An evaluation of a series of arts-based interventions across the Scottish criminal justice system, focusing on the impact of engagement in these programmes on offenders’ attitudes and behaviours as well as their ability to learn.The findings concentrate on examining the quality of the arts experience, the people and processes involved, ... read on →

Authors KIrstin Anderson, Sarah Colvin, Fergus McNeill, Mike Nellis, Katie Overy, Richard Sparks (Scottish Centre for Crime & Justice Research, University of Glasgow, University of Glasgow)

Published February 2011

Artforms Creative Writing, Drama, Music, Visual Arts

Organisation Motherwell College   Project venues Barlinnie, Greenock, Open Estate, Polmont, Shotts

Participant type Male Adult Offenders, Male Young Offenders, Female Adult Offenders

Sample size: 219

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