Abstract

This paper reports a creative writing intervention which was designed to improve family relationships, self-concept and skills of people in prison. Male prisoners (N = 8) produced a novel for their children. The novel was thematically analysed alongside interview data from the writers, their families (N = 15) and prison staff (N = 3) to evaluate the impact of the project. The novel had themes of “Challenging the notion of ‘bad’” and “people change for the better.” Interview data suggested that the intervention helped families feel more connected. It also led to better relationships between the participants themselves. Interviews suggested that participants felt a sense of achievement and that they had developed their skills. Findings suggest that the project was effective in enhancing connections between family members and led to a more positive self-concept and enhanced skills.

摘要

本文报告了一项创造性的写作干预措施，旨在改善监狱人员的家庭关系、自我概念和技能。男性囚犯（N  = 8）为他们的孩子制作了一本小说。对这部小说进行了主题分析，并与作者、他们的家人 ( N  = 15) 和监狱工作人员 ( N = 3) 评估项目的影响。小说的主题是“挑战‘坏’的观念”和“人们会变得更好”。访谈数据表明，干预措施帮助家庭感觉更紧密。这也导致了参与者之间更好的关系。访谈表明，参与者感到有成就感，并且他们已经发展了自己的技能。调查结果表明，该项目有效地加强了家庭成员之间的联系，并导致了更积极的自我概念和增强的技能。