Recruiting, Retaining and Engaging Men in Social Interventions: Lessons for Implementation Focusing on a Prison-based...

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Criminology
• Psychology

Background:

• Engaging men in social interventions, particularly parenting programs, presents significant challenges.
• Incarcerated fathers represent a particularly hard-to-reach demographic for such interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the successful implementation of a parenting program for incarcerated fathers within a Scottish Young Offender Institution (YOI).
• To identify factors contributing to high recruitment, retention, and engagement, as well as barriers encountered.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative design utilizing ethnographic approaches.
• Methods included participant observation, informal interactions, and formal interviews.
• Framework analysis was applied to the integrated dataset.

Main Results:

• The prison setting offered accessibility but also presented institutional challenges.
• A nurturing and safe environment, alongside strong facilitator-participant and peer relationships, fostered engagement.
• Clashes between institutional practices and intervention delivery threatened trust.

Conclusions:

• Successful implementation hinges on creating a supportive environment and strong relationships.
• Addressing institutional clashes is crucial for maintaining trust and engagement.
• Findings offer insights for social interventions within prisons and for engaging marginalized fathers in community settings.