Compassion and Change: How Prison Programs Transform Lives
- Natalie Sarkisyan
- Oct 7
- 3 min read
Recidivism: “the act of an individual relapsing into criminal behavior after serving a sentence or receiving intervention for a previous crime”
In 1781, one of the first prison reform groups was established through what is known today as the Pennsylvania Prison Society. Their work improved living conditions in jails and provided a positive environment for prisoners to further their educational and personal growth while serving their time.(1)
With the goal of fostering personal growth, strengthening character, and equipping criminals with the skills they need to successfully re-enter society, prison reform groups exist all throughout American prisons now. This mission is carried out through a range of programs designed to support incarcerated individual on their path toward reintegration.
Animal Assisted Programs
Animal-assisted prison reform programs pair incarcerated individual with an animal, usually dogs or cats, and allow them to build empathy, connection, responsibility, and prosocial behavior.
Programs like Puppies Behind Bars and Paws in Prison have shown impressive results, with recidivism dropping by as much as 50% among participants. Plus, these programs often help animals find new homes, creating a powerful cycle of redemption.(7)Through the act of training and caring for a dependent animal, they not only build empathy and patience but also begin to create a sense of internal warmth and love. This compassion facilitates good relationships and a healthy life outside of prison.
Educational
Educational prison reform programs focus on improving incarcerated individual’s literacy, academic knowledge, and critical thinking skills to prepare them for employment and citizenship after release. These programs can be extremely valuable for incarcerated individual because they offer a chance to learn a skill set universally needed for successful assimilation back into the working force after serving time.
An example of an educational prison reform program is the Bard Prison Initiative, which allows inmates to earn a college degree while incarcerated. (2)
The BPI program shows significant improvement in participants’ educational achievement, employment prospects, and overall reentry success, with the rate of prison return after release being a mere 4%, compared to the national average of 68%.
Studies show that inmates who participate in educational reform programs while serving time are 43% less likely to reoffend. (3) Education opens doors to employment, boosts self-esteem, and helps inmates see a way of life besides crime.
Vocational Training
Vocational training provides incarcerated individuals with practical job skills that can be directly applied in the workforce after their release, training in trades like carpentry, welding, automotive repair, etc.
The Prison Industry Enhancement Certification Program is a program that allows inmates to gain real-world job experience and wages.
Research shows that inmates who complete vocational programs are 28% more likely to find work after their release, which is a crucial factor in staying out of prison. (4)
Therapy
Therapy programs in prisons aim to target and care for mental health issues, and work with incarcerated to correct maladaptive thinking patterns. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is the most widely used therapy in the criminal justice setting. According to surveys, it is estimated that about 15-20% of prison inmates experience depression and severe anxiety(5).
In 2018, congress passed the First Step Act, an action intended to “promote rehabilitation, lower recidivism, and reduce excessive sentences in the federal prison system”, according to The Sentencing Project. (6). The act has shown success- only 12-13% of FSA participants have been incarcerated, compared to the 45% among the general population of prisons across America.(6)
Why it matters
Rehabilitation programs don’t just change the lives of incarcerated in prison. They improve community, make for a safer world, and help break cycles of incarceration. Education, skill-building, mental health help, and compassion all work together to turn time served into time used wisely.
