The practice and promise of peer programs in prison

Description

Peer programs are an established part of prison life in several countries (e.g., UK, USA.), while in other countries like Belgium the implementation of such programs is more recent and still in an experimental phase. Peer programs encompass programs in which incarcerated people are trained to educate, tutor, or otherwise support their fellow incarcerated persons. However, a fundamental understanding of how, why, for whom, and under which circumstances peer programs are effective remains an untapped vein of exploration.

Through the perspective of realist methodology, we reviewed 29 international articles and reports on peer programs in prison to gain insight into its’ outcomes, the underlying mechanisms and the conditions under which such programs are likely to be effective. Peer programs have potential benefits for peer workers (e.g. desistance, improved knowledge/skills), peer recipients (e.g. desistance, improved mental health), and prisons (e.g. improved atmosphere, fewer institutional infractions). The success of peer programs is contingent on a number of factors on micro-level (i.e. motivation of peer workers, recruitment requirements), exo-level (i.e. institutional prison profile, training/hands-on experiences of peer workers, institutional buy-in), and macro-level (i.e. government support, resources). Moreover, we identified different underlying mechanisms to optimize the effectiveness of peer programs, such as supporting peer workers, or developing human relationships based on trust and equality. The incorporation of a realist science perspective to unravel the outcomes of peer programs in prison, as well as the underlying contextual factors and mechanisms, provides valuable insights for practitioners and policy makers in designing and implementing effective programs.

Periode	okt 2023
Evenementstitel	ICPA Annual Conference 2023: Humane corrections: What more can we do?
Evenementstype	Conference
Locatie	Antwerp, Belgium