Evaluations

An independent evaluation of Making for Change: skills in a fashion training and manufacturing workshop

Making for Change Fashion Training and Manufacturing Workshop is a partnership between HM Prison Service and London College of Fashion. Making for Change takes an innovative approach in prison, linked to improving the engagement of women in prison industries by providing training in fashion production skills and accrediting participants with ... read on →

Authors Laura Caulfield, Kerry Curtis, Ella Simpson (Bath Spa University)

Published August 2018

Artform Design

Organisations HMP Downview, London College of Fashion   Project venue HMP Downview

Participant type Female Adult Offenders

Sample size: 14

Applied Performance Arts Interventions within Justice Services: Moving 'Forward' Toward an Integrated Sustainable Evaluative Approach

This report evaluates the impact of a resettlement programme using forum theatre and therapeutic creative delivery in prisons, adult resettlement centres and secure units.  It focuses on the impact good partnership has on effective projects as well as the need for long-term sustained work in prisons to ensure the highest ... read on →

Authors Richard McHugh, Hannah Smithson (Manchester Metropolitan University)

Published January 2018

Artform Theatre

Organisation Odd Arts   Project venues Barton Moss Secure Unit, HMP Manchester, Langley House Trust resettlement centres

Participant type Male Ex offenders

Sample size: 50

Art on the Inside: How Do Prison Art Teachers Maintain Their Professional Practice as Artist?

This evaluation asks the question: how do prison art teachers actively seek out opportunity for development and advancement in their specialist field? It empowers the voice of eight prison art teachers as artists working within a broad context of custodial settings including young offender’s institutes, adult male prisons and a ... read on →

Author Sophie Nickeas

Published August 2016

Artform Visual Arts

Organisation University of West London   Project venues HMP Highdown, HMP Lewes, HMP/YOI Bronzefield, HMYOI Cookham Wood, HMYOI Wetherby

Participant type Male and Female Adult Art teachers working in prisons/YOIs

Sample size: 8

Exploring Good Vibrations projects with vulnerable and challenging women in prison

This research involved 26 women who had successfully completed a Good Vibrations project, finding that:

  • for women in prison, taking part in a Good Vibrations project can reduce anger, worry, and levels of unhappiness, and improve social skills
  • reductions in anger, worry, and unhappiness may be sustained in the weeks ... read on →

    Author Laura Caulfield (Bath Spa University)

    Published December 2015

    Artform Music

    Organisation Good Vibrations

    Participant type Female Adult Offenders

  • Good Vibrations: health and wellbeing of older offenders

    The purpose of this research project was to explore the older offender population and there engagement with the Good Vibration project.  The research found that:

  • Older offenders also experience the same emotional benefits as the general prison population
  • Older offender’s comments on additional benefits of the Good Vibrations project for ... read on →

    Authors Laura Caulfield, Dean Wilkinson (Bath Spa University; University of Worcester)

    Published 2014

    Artform Music

    Organisation Good Vibrations

    Participant type Male Older 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

    The experience of ‘Journey Woman’ from the perspective of the participants

    Using theoretical frameworks such as CBT, role theory, social learning theory and narrative therapy, Forensic Psychologist Rebecca Day explores women offenders’ experience of  Geese Theatre Company’s one week project ‘Journey Woman’, which was delivered four times at HMP Foston during 2007/08.  read on →

    Author Rebecca Day (Geese Theatre)

    Published January 2013

    Artform Drama

    Organisation Foston   Project venue Foston

    Participant type Female Adult Offenders

    Sample size: 34

    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

    Musical Learning and Desistance from Crime: The case of a 'Good Vibrations' Javanese Gamelan project with young offenders

    This paper discusses new empirical evidence for a positive relationship between musical learning and desistance from crime. On investigating the learning processes occurring within a Javanese gamelan project in a Young Offenders Institution, parallels between musical learning processes and the development of certain attributes linked to desistance from crime emerged.  ... read on →

    Author Jennie Henley (Institute of Education, University of London, University of London)

    Published February 2012

    Artform Music

    Organisation Good Vibrations

    Participant type Male Young Offenders

    Elmina's Kitchen

    An evaluation of the impact of the performance of play in HMP Brixton on the Synergy Theatre participants invloved and the audiences. read on →

    Author Karin van Maanen (Anne Peaker Centre)

    Published 2007

    Artform Drama

    Organisation Synergy Theatre   Project venue Brixton

    Participant type Male Adult Offenders, Male and Female Adult Prison Staff, Male and Female Adult Public Audience

    Sample size: 417

    Go to homepage

    Arts Alliance Evidence Library

    Filters: Prison [x], Personal development [x], Qualitative [x]

    Filter by:

    Data type [ + ]
    Participant gender [ + ]
    Delivery methodologies [ + ]