Peer Mentoring for Male Parolees: A CBPR Pilot Study.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Criminal Justice
• Psychology

Background:

• Formerly incarcerated adults face significant challenges, including poverty, substance use disorders, and societal reintegration difficulties.
• A peer mentoring program was developed to aid formerly incarcerated adults transitioning back into the community.
• The program's development involved a collaborative research team of formerly incarcerated individuals and academic researchers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of a peer-based intervention for recently released men, utilizing a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach.
• To gather preliminary data on the intervention's effects on coping, self-esteem, abstinence self-efficacy, social support, and 12-step meeting participation.
• To establish a CBPR team for developing, implementing, and testing future interventions for this population.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach with a single group pretest/posttest design was used.
• The study included 20 men on parole recently released from prison (within 30 days).

Main Results:

• Quantitative analysis indicated significant improvements in abstinence self-efficacy, specifically in managing negative affect and habitual craving.
• Qualitative findings confirmed the relevance and acceptance of peer mentoring among participants.
• The study demonstrated the feasibility of the peer mentoring intervention.

Conclusions:

• Involving formerly incarcerated adults in the design, implementation, and testing of interventions is crucial for successful reintegration.
• Peer mentoring shows promise as a supportive intervention for this population.
• The CBPR approach facilitated the development of a relevant and accepted program.