Evaluations

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

The Lullaby Project: areas of change and mechanisms of impact

Creative projects and their potential towards positive psychosocial change have been consistently evidenced, particularly with vulnerable groups. The Lullaby Project (developed by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute in New York) has now been implemented in UK through two pilot experiences where the Irene Taylor Trust (who led the initiative), brought ... read on →

Author Sara Ascenso

Published November 2017

Artform Music

Organisations Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The Irene Taylor Trust   Project venues HMP Wandsworth, Praxis Community Projects

Participant type Female Adult Migrants, Adult Musicians, Male Adult Offenders

Sample size: 21

The Arts of Desistance: Evaluation of the Koestler Trust Arts Mentoring Programme for Former Prisoners

This report presents and discusses the findings of an evaluation of an arts-based mentoring scheme that is aimed at prolonging and enhancing desistance from crime through providing former prisoners with opportunities to continue engaging with the arts after release. The evaluation focused both on the implementation and effectiveness of the ... read on →

Author Leonidas Cheliotis (London School of Economics)

Published October 2014

Artforms Creative Writing, Multi-Arts, Music, Visual Arts

Organisation Koestler Trust   Project venues Parc, Peterborough

Participant type Male and Female Adult Ex offenders

Sample size: 60

Sounding Out - Jim Cartwright

The report followed Music in Prisons as they ran a pilot ‘through the gate’ project which, through music, aimed to provide longer-term rehabilitative opportunities to previous project participants in order to help bridge the gap between life inside and out prison. The key aims were to assist reintegration; impact on ... read on →

Published 2013

Artform Music

Participant type Male and Female Adult Ex offenders

Sample size: 7

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

Stitching a Future - an Evaluation of Fine Cell Work

An independent qualitative evaluation into the work of Fine Cell Work (FCW) in five prisons across England and Scotland, to identify the key benefits of being involved with FCW, establish why offenders participate and continue their involvement and investigate changes in soft outcomes such as behaviour, feelings about prison and ... read on →

Published July 2011

Artform Needlework

Organisation Fine Cell Work

Participant type Male and Female Adult Offenders

Sample size: 22

Interim evaluation report: Overview and impact of delivery work in Year 2

This evaluation is a participant-focused evaluation, looking at the responses of detainees actively participating in the project, members of IRC staff who were directly involved, and how members of the community responded to two of the community exchange projects which took place in 2008/2009. It covers the three key areas ... read on →

Author Karin van Maanen (Anne Peaker Centre)

Published 2009

Artform Music

Organisation Music in Detention   Project venues Dover IRC, Haslar IRC

Evaluation of Artlink Central in HMP & YOI Cornton Vale

This evaluation is based on the work of Artlink in HMP/YOI Cornton Vale from April 2008 to April 2009, as part of the Arts and Restorative Justice Programme introduced there in 2007. The first section of this report briefly reviews the relevant literature, which highlights the benefits of having prisoners ... read on →

Authors Nancy Loucks, Briege Nugent (Families Outside)

Published May 2009

Artform Multi-Arts

Organisation Artlink Central   Project venue Cornton Vale

Participant type Female Adult Offenders, Female Young Offenders

Sample size: 12

Interim evaluation report: May 2007 – May 2008

An evaluation of the projects delivered by Music In Detention (MiD) in 3 Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs) during 2007-08. It covers the music interventions, quality of life (for detainees) and channels of communicaton (between IRCs and communities/wider public). Within these areas it focused on the elements of self-expression, culturally relevant ... read on →

Author Karin van Maanen (Anne Peaker Centre)

Published 2008

Artform Music

Organisation Music in Detention   Project venues Dover IRC, Harmondsworth IRC, Haslar IRC

Beats & Bars - Music in Prisons: An Evaluation

The report evaluated a series of five-day music projects which took place in eight men’s prisons across England from October 2007 to July 2008. The evaluation was aimed at understanding the impact of the project on its participants’ engagement with purposeful activities whilst in prison. In particular the impact of ... read on →

Authors Alexandra Cox, Loraine Gelsthorpe (Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge , University of Cambridge)

Published

Artform Music

Organisation The Irene Taylor Trust (Music in Prisons)   Project venues Brixton , Edmunds Hill, Littlehey, Manchester, Wandsworth, Wayland, Whatton

Participant type Male Adult Offenders

Sample size: 69

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