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

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

  • Final evaluation of the Artist in Residence at HMP Grendon

    This report presents findings from the second half of a four year art residency at HMP Grendon. Through analysis of observational data, interviews, focus groups, and assessments of social climate with prisoners at HMP Grendon, this report concludes that the residency has promoted a number of positive outcomes. There is ... read on →

    Author Laura Caulfield (Bath Spa University)

    Published August 2014

    Artform Visual Arts

    Project venue Grendon

    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

    “The Good Days are Amazing”  An Evaluation of the Writers in Prison Network 

    This qualitative evaluation by Sheffield Hallam University was designed to:

  • map the activities of the Writers in Prison Network (WIPN)
  • identify the barriers and facilitators to effective delivery of the programme
  • identify effective practice
  • assess the impact of the programme on prisoners, writers and prison staff
  • assess the effectiveness of ... read on →

    Authors Katherine Albertson, Caroline O'Keefe (Hallam Centre for Community Justice, Sheffield Hallam University)

    Published October 2012

    Artforms Creative Writing, Multi-Arts

    Organisation Writers in Prison Network

  • Good Vibrations: Music and social education for young offenders

    This evaluation looked at the project from the point of view of music education, identifying individual and social factors generated through musical development that also are attributed to desistence from crime. These were divided into two categories:- Individual Agency:Personal Identity Diversity Motivation Hope Self-determination Personal strengths  Social Interactions: Professional relationships ... read on →

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

    Published August 2012

    Artform Music

    Organisation Good Vibrations   Project venue Swinfen Hall

    Participant type Male Young Offenders

    Sample size: 19

    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

    Special Projects Programme evaluation

    As part of WIPN's comprehensive evaluation of their work undertaken by Sheffield Hallam University, a separate evaluation of their Special Projects programmes was completed, focusing on the impact of the programme delivery on participants and stakeholders, specifically focusing on the challenges and benefits of the indoividual projects, their developents and recommendations ... read on →

    Authors Katherine Albertson, Caroline O'Keefe (Hallam Centre for Community Justice, Sheffield Hallam University)

    Published April 2012

    Artforms Creative Writing, Multi-Arts

    Organisation Writers in Prison Network   Project venues Frankland, Full Sutton, Wormwood Scrubs

    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

    Music in our Time - an evaluation of a participatory creative music programme for older prisoners

    An evaluation of a participatory creative music programme for older prisoners in 6 prisons to assess its impact on improving health and well being. The evaluation focused on analysing the workshop experience; benefits and opportunities of the programme; and the perspectives of the musicians. read on →

    Authors Nick de Viggiani, Patsy Long, Sheila Mackintosh (University of the West of England )

    Published October 2010

    Artform Music

    Organisation Superact

    Participant type Older Offenders

    Sample size: 52

    The Great Escape: exploring the rehabilitative dynamics involved in 'Changing Tunes'

    The goal of this report is to develop a 'logic model' that can account for how Changing Tunes (CT) works as a rehabilitative strategy, outlining both the dynamic processes involved and their immediate/short-term and medium/longer-term impacts on the lives of participants. This analysis identified seven, key elements of the CT ... read on →

    Author Shadd Maruna (Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Queen's University Belfast, Queen's University Belfast)

    Published 2010

    Artform Music

    Organisation Changing Tunes   Project venues Bristol, Bronzefield, Eastwood Park, Erlestoke, Exeter, Gloucester, Guys Marsh, Kingston, Leyhill, Parkhurst, Shepton Mallet, Winchester

    Participant type Male and Female Adult Offenders

    Sample size: 87

    Developments in the HM Prison Service and Safe Ground Family Man programme, and the Safe Ground Network during 2007-8: An independent review

    The purpose of this evaulation was to examine the developments Safe Ground had made to one of its prison interventions, Family Man, and to the Safe Ground network during the period 2007-08 following recommendations made in previous reviews. It utilised semi structured qualitative face to face interviews, telephone interviews and questionnaires ... read on →

    Authors Gwyneth Boswell, Fiona Poland

    Published October 2008

    Artform Drama

    Organisation Safe Ground   Project venues Belmarsh, Wandsworth

    Participant type Male and Female Adult Families of offenders, Male Adult Offenders, Male and Female Adult Staff

    Sample size: 258

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