Volunteering in prisons: a systematic review and narrative synthesis

Area of Science:

• Criminology
• Sociology
• Psychology

Background:

• Community volunteers in prisons represent an understudied population.
• The penal voluntary sector is growing, with potential benefits for prisons and prisoners.
• Effective implementation of volunteer programs is crucial for maximizing positive outcomes.

Approach:

• A systematic review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.
• Searched five electronic databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Scopus, ASSIA, Social Sciences Database) and conducted hand searches.
• Included explicit eligibility criteria, quality appraisal, and narrative synthesis, organizing motivations using the Volunteer Function Inventory.

Key Points:

• Eight studies across five countries reported on 764 prison volunteers.
• Volunteers were often middle-aged, White, and female, frequently providing religious support.
• Motivations included altruism and social reasons; positive experiences stemmed from personal benefits, while negative ones arose from lack of support and staff relations.

Conclusions:

• Prison volunteer programs can enhance prisoner psychological health and benefit penal systems and volunteers.
• Limited research exists on prison volunteers, necessitating further investigation.
• Formal induction, training, better integration with staff, and supervision can mitigate challenges and improve volunteer experiences.