Citizen volunteers in prison: bringing the outside in, taking the inside out

Abstract

The United States correctional system relies heavily on citizen volunteers, but there is little contemporary research on prison volunteers, which is further limited by sample and geographic region. The purpose of this project was to explore the role of citizen volunteers, including investigating why they volunteer and what their experiences with inmates and prison staff are like. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with citizen volunteers in the penal system of a Midwestern state. Volunteers had altruistic or faith-based motivations, viewing themselves as 'seed planters' but not saviors, and placing priority on building relationships. They described how volunteering transformed their views on inmates and the prison system. Volunteers appeared to gain awareness of and appreciation for the problems associated with both serving time and reentry. Additional research on the role of citizen volunteers is needed to improve recruiting and retention of volunteers, and to better evaluate and develop programs for current and reentering inmates.

The Experience of Volunteers in Prisons in Portugal: A Qualitative Study

“…In this study, volunteers in prisons were mostly motivated by the greater availability and time in their lives, past experiences, and the need to help others. These same motivations were described in other research conducted in Southern states in the USA, where volunteers expressed their personal beliefs as one of the reasons for volunteering, sharing their blessing and values to the inmates, the commitment they felt toward volunteering and toward the volunteers themselves also contributed to their involvement in volunteering in the prison context ( 13 , 23 ). Similarly, another study conducted in the state of Minnesota in the USA acknowledged that when it comes to volunteering, volunteers feel the need to help others and express their values and beliefs as a way to show their concern with others ( 24 ).…”

“…For this study, the semi-structured interview guide from Kort-Butler & Malone, 2014 ( 13 ) was translated into Portuguese, adapted and used to assist the interviews ( Appendix 1 ). The researcher (MS) conducted the individual semi-structured interviews exploring the motivations that led to the involvement of participants in volunteering in prisons, the interactions that the volunteers established with the inmates and with the prison staff, and the impact of volunteers in the inmates and on themselves.…”

“…Research conducted in Hong Kong ( 9 ) and the Netherlands ( 12 ) reported that volunteering in a prison context brings benefits not only to the volunteers, but also to the inmates themselves ( 9 , 12 ). A study in the United States of America (USA) highlighted that whilst volunteers had positive attitudes toward prisoners and prison staff, the beginning of these interactions was marked by some mistrust ( 13 ). In contrast, according to a study carried out in Norway ( 14 ) the inmates showed positive attitudes toward prison staff and college students.…”

“…This is similar to the results of a study in Australia ( 15 ), where medical students recognized the challenges and advantages of working in prison as a doctor, namely for the rejection of stereotypes. Studies carried out in Hong Kong ( 9 ), the Netherlands ( 12 ), Canada ( 16 ) and the USA ( 13 ) highlight that what led volunteers to become involved in prison volunteering contributed to the way they play their role as volunteer. The importance of visits made by volunteers, giving inmates opportunities to have different conversations and being away from the usual prison environment has also been highlighted ( 12 ).…”

The Criminal Justice Voluntary Sector: Concepts and an Agenda for an Emerging Field

“…In Australia, police volunteer involvement is expanding and voluntary organisations work in court, prison, substance treatment, and youth support (Ransley and Mazerolle ). USA federal prisons depend on thousands of volunteers due to insufficient resources (Kort‐Butler and Malone ). The voluntary sector is the USA's primary prisoner re‐entry provider (Kaufman ) and manages far more persons under correctional control than for‐profits (Armstrong ).…”