Evaluation of a Prison Occupational Therapy Informal Education Program: A Pilot Study.

This pilot study explored the strengths and weaknesses of an informal education program and identified elements of the program valued by participants. Participants were men living in a minimum security prison who had been incarcerated for ten or more years. The outside researcher was joined by three former program participants as co-researchers. Together, they interviewed 27 residents who completed the informal education program. Interviews were transcribed and de-identified. Researchers used the summative content analysis approach to analyze the data. Initial content analysis yielded five concepts: doing (engaging in purposeful activities); information (program handouts and discussions that included data and descriptions of all of the topics discussed); re-entry fears (socialization; making amends with victims and/or reuniting with family and friends); technology (includes, but not limited to, using smartphones, internet and other technology in all areas of occupation); and self-worth as a person. Further interpretation per the summative content analysis method yielded three themes: doing (engaged in purposeful activities), validation of self-worth (confirmation of being a valued human being in spite of having committed a serious crime) and concerns about the future (being able to successfully engage in virtually all occupations). Whilst informal education programs may help people who are incarcerated gain information, gain a sense of self-worth and allay some reentry fears, understanding the long-term affect such programs may have such as preparing them for successful re-entry to society or reducing recidivism rates, will require long-term follow-up. Regardless of the occupational therapy intervention, the practice of occupational therapy in the criminal justice system needs to be client-centred. Because of the small number of participants and limited access to participants, one should not generalize the findings of this study to other situations or populations. Further research to examine the effectiveness of an occupational therapy education program is warranted. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Critical Reflections on Participatory Action Research in a Prison Setting: Toward Occupational Justice.

There is little information about prison-related occupational deprivation, and about doing research in prison. To document an occupational therapist and two prisoners' critical reflections on an informal occupational therapy education program using participatory action research (PAR), we reflect on our combined experiences of evaluating an occupational therapy program. The reflections include articulation of power differentials and examples of occupational deprivation and injustice at every stage of the program evaluation process. We found that the PAR process allowed all collaborators to engage of co-occupation and gain a keener understanding of occupational justice. With co-occupation came personal growth and an appreciation for each other's humanity despite our diverse backgrounds. Recognizing that research in prison can be challenging, the results suggest it can also be rewarding. We offer insights and practical suggestions for doing research in prison.