October 24th, 2011 A recently completed, independent study of Family Man (FM) has detailed its sustainable impact on developing and maintaining stronger family ties, changing attitudes towards prison and resettlement, and enhancing employment, training and education (ETE) skills. The programme, an intensive 7-week family relationships course joint owned by Safe Ground and the Prison Service, was revised in 2007 in response to the needs of male offenders and their families and the findings of the Social Exclusion Unit Report, which stressed the importance of family involvement in the rehabilitation process to reduce the risk of reoffending.
Administered by Boswell Research Fellows and the University of East Anglia, the study aimed to assess the programme’s longer-term impact by conducting questionairres and interviews with Gradautes from seven establishments in England and Wales and their Supporters.[1] Questionnaires were returned from 54 men who graduated between 2008 and 2010 as well as from 50 Supporters. A further 48 in-depth interviews were conducted with Graduates and Supporters both in custody and the community.
Of the Graduates surveyed, 84 per cent documented improved relationships with their families and children. Martin, who had completed the course 18 months previously, commented; “I learned to act like a father to my children and a son to my parents; to see problems and challenges and talk things through before acting.” Similar sentiments were expressed by men who had graduated in 2008 and were now living in the community. Robson highlighted the skills he developed “to understand my partner and the children, to learn to listen, and for her to understand me too. We have to keep working at it, but I’ve been out 9 months now, I have a job and our family life has never been happier”.
Almost four-fifths of Graduates reported implementing the goals laid out in their ‘Action Plan’, a contract drafted by the student and his Supporter outlining key next steps for progression in education, training and resettlement. Equally encouraging, of the nine men taking part who had been released since graduating, none appeared to have reoffended, a statistically improbable outcome.
Analysis of family Supporters’ perceptions of the programme also produced overwhelmingly positive results. 92 per cent agreed that FM had helped their graduate understand his family responsibilities. This is supported by anecdotal evidence from the interviews with the wife of one graduate noting “a big, big change… The family comes first now. Before it was always himself…. I wonder if it’s the same man I married!” 98 per cent of Supporters felt the course had helped them think about overcoming the challenges of resettlement together. For Graduates who had subsequently been released, this coordinated approach appears to have been highly beneficial. One interviewd Supporter commented; “We all enjoyed the experience and the effects are still visible 2 years on.”
Naturally there was some scepticism from Supporters over whether the perceived changes in their Graduates were genuine or would stand the test of time. When asked to rate their optimism, on a scale of 1-10, about their Graduate’s ability to sustain attitude changes after release, a notable minority (21 per cent) returned scores of 5 or below. These responses were largely a product of doubts that the Graduate would be able to avoid slipping back into his previous lifestyle in the face of the challenges of resettlement. As one Supporter commented; “I want to score about 8, but the realist in me says 4!”
Alongside the focus on shared goal-setting, the evaluators cited FM’s emphasis on working with mixed ability groups as critical to its success, particularly in using drama and confidence building exercises to enagage previously disaffected men for whom achievement in traditional educational settings was largely or entirely absent. While concentrating on improving family relationships, students acquired and enhanced skills in group and teamwork, literacy and personal development essential to ETE progression.
The effectiveness of this multi-faceted approach to delivery validated findings from previous studies and was viewed as a central factor behind the demonstrated sustainability of the programme’s benefits and its capacity to assist Graduates in breaking the cycle of offending[2]. The evaluators concluded that “there could be little doubt of the enduring impact this programme had made on these men and their families or of its consequent potential to strengthen the social bonds which could contribute to subsequent desistance from crime.”
[1] FM requires students to nominate an adult supporter to work with them throughout the seven weeks and help them identify and address next steps in ETE and resettlement. Supporters can be a partner, relative, close friend, Offender Manager/Supervisor or a volunteer.
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