This evaluation by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) of Safe Ground's 'Parents for the 21st Century' initiative, is divided into two distinct phases. The first focuses on the process of development, whereby inmates played a major role in the production of the course materials - the aim of this evaluation phase was to assess the impact on those involved as ‘course developers’.

The second phase of the evaluation concerned the trialing of the programme, during which time the programme was delivered by non-Safe Ground personnel at several establishments across the country. The evaluation aims at this stage were to determine the impact on ‘course participants’ and also to investigate whether teachers (including non-drama teachers) found the course materials usable.

The 'Parents for the 21st Century' initiative involved the development of two courses: ‘Fathers Inside’ with a focus on parenting and ‘Family Man’ focusing on family relationships. Although the evaluation covered both courses, it should be noted that only in the case of ‘Family Man’ was a final version produced. ‘Fathers Inside’ was still in the processes of refinement at the time of the evaluation.

Safe Ground's family relationships and parenting course owed much of its success to its evolutionary history – it rose out of the ideas and experiences of prisoners.