Marron,S., Dempsey,M., Regan, E., McGowan, C., Dorai-Raj,C., & Betts-Symonds,G.

2022

February

Social intervention supporting rehabilitation of people in custody: insights for working with excluded populations

Dublin

Psychological Society of Ireland

Published

1

Community-Based Health and First Aid (CBHFA) programme Irish Prison Service Social exclusion Rehabilitation

The Community Based Health and First Aid (CBHFA) programme is a nine month course within the Irish Prison System (IPS) which trains inmates as Red Cross volunteers and supports them in carrying out health-related projects in their community. Previous research on the programme suggests that participation facilitates personal development for volunteers. This could be a step towards rehabilitation. This study aims to understand how the CBHFA programme facilitates personal development for volunteers. Ten participants were randomly selected from a pool of volunteers across two open prisons in Ireland. All participants identified as Irish males currently volunteering with the Red Cross. Data was collected through semi-structured phone interviews which lasted between 30 to 70 minutes. Questions in the interviews centred around skills, behaviour, self-esteem, self-efficacy and mental health. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and then analysed using thematic analysis (TA). Three key themes were developed from the data set to explain how the CBHFA programme facilitates personal development for volunteers; acquiring skills and knowledge, opportunity to succeed and engaging in positive work. These aspects of the programme were reported to improve volunteers self-esteem, self-efficacy and mental health thereby, facilitating personal development. This study elaborates on previous research on the relationship between personal development and CBHFA programme. Furthermore, this research also acknowledges the challenges faced by many prisoners in Ireland today and highlights the significance of providing volunteers with an opportunity for growth and rehabilitation.

Professor Suzanne Guerin

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