How Does It Work? Mechanisms of Action in an In-Prison Restorative Justice Program. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology

Religious Interventions

April 2021

Full Citation

Armour, M., & Sliva, S. (2018). How Does It Work? Mechanisms of Action in an In-Prison Restorative Justice Program. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 62(3), 759–784. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X16669143

Abstract

Research is limited on mechanisms of action in restorative justice interventions. This multimethods study delineates the change processes underlying a successful in-prison group treatment program by (a) examining shifts in offenders’ self-schemas and (b) identifying key program components that influence this movement. Researchers assigned to small groups as “co-facilitators” gathered data using participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and psychological assessments at three time points. Mechanisms of action include group norms and behaviors that contrast with prior experiences and uncover offenders’ self-schemas through intrapsychic processes, which prompt them to test and act upon new possible selves through the group process.