My child the hero: how a collaborative writing project changes prisoners' self-concept and family connection

Skipper, Y. (2023) My child the hero: how a collaborative writing project changes prisoners' self-concept and family connection. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 62(4), pp. 233-254. (doi: 10.1080/10509674.2023.2193435)

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.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Skipper, Dr Yvonne
• Authors: Skipper, Y.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Education > People, Place & Social Change
• Journal Name: Journal of Offender Rehabilitation
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 1050-9674
• ISSN (Online): 1540-8558
• Published Online: 04 April 2023
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2023 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Journal of Offender Rehabilitation 62(4):233-254
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License