D.C. Central Kitchen: Peer mentoring, structure and self-empowerment play a critical role in desistance

‘I (really) know what you mean’. Mechanisms of experiential peer support for young people with criminal behavior: a qualitative study

“…Previous research investigating experiential peer support in the forensic field has found that EPs feel they have a deeper understanding of the client's situation and the pain they are dealing with (Barrenger, Stanhope, and Atterbury 2017;Barrenger, Hamovitch, and Rothman 2019) and clients view them as non-judgmental (Matthews et al 2019;Thomas et al 2019;Buck 2018;Collica-Cox 2018). Several studies have found that both EPs and clients see EPs as role models (Collica-Cox 2018;Portillo, Goldberg, and Taxman 2017;Barrenger, Stanhope, and Atterbury 2017), although it is unclear whether EPs' lived experiences contribute to their credibility (Reingle Gonzalez et al 2019) or rather make them inauthentic (Buck 2016b).…”

“…Several studies have found that both EPs and clients see EPs as role models (Collica-Cox 2018;Portillo, Goldberg, and Taxman 2017;Barrenger, Stanhope, and Atterbury 2017), although it is unclear whether EPs' lived experiences contribute to their credibility (Reingle Gonzalez et al 2019) or rather make them inauthentic (Buck 2016b). It has also been shown that witnessing someone who has succeeded despite a problematic history can be inspirational and provide hope (Kavanagh and Borrill 2013;Marlow et al 2015;Portillo, Goldberg, and Taxman 2017;Buck 2014Buck , 2016bBuck , 2019Matthews et al 2019;Barrenger, Hamovitch, and Rothman 2019). In addition, studies have found that building a trusting relationship is important (Kavanagh and Borrill 2013;Matthews et al 2019;Barrenger, Hamovitch, and Rothman 2019;Thomas et al 2019) and that it may be easier for EPs to achieve this with clients due to their shared identity (Barrenger, Stanhope, and Atterbury 2017;Portillo, Goldberg, and Taxman 2017;Reingle Gonzalez et al 2019).…”

“…It has also been shown that witnessing someone who has succeeded despite a problematic history can be inspirational and provide hope (Kavanagh and Borrill 2013;Marlow et al 2015;Portillo, Goldberg, and Taxman 2017;Buck 2014Buck , 2016bBuck , 2019Matthews et al 2019;Barrenger, Hamovitch, and Rothman 2019). In addition, studies have found that building a trusting relationship is important (Kavanagh and Borrill 2013;Matthews et al 2019;Barrenger, Hamovitch, and Rothman 2019;Thomas et al 2019) and that it may be easier for EPs to achieve this with clients due to their shared identity (Barrenger, Stanhope, and Atterbury 2017;Portillo, Goldberg, and Taxman 2017;Reingle Gonzalez et al 2019). Lastly, studies showed that EPs act as a bridge between clients and staff (Hodgson et al 2019;Barrenger, Hamovitch, and Rothman 2019) and that they make referrals or connect clients to services related to housing, mental health, education and employment (Marlow et al 2015;Portillo, Goldberg, and Taxman 2017;Thomas et al 2019).…”

Peer-focused prison reentry programs: Which peer characteristics matter most?

“…In addition to the emotional and psychological benefits derived from having a peer mentor, research suggests that peer support also provides a role model, regardless of the setting (Barrenger et al, 2017; Buck, 2020; LeBel et al, 2015; Marlow et al, 2015; Matthews et al, 2020; Nixon, 2019; Portillo et al, 2017). Barrenger and colleagues (2017) reported that mentees viewed peer specialists as role models, which allowed mentors to help clients transition out of stigmatized identities, while also providing support and connection to service providers.…”

“…Marlow and colleagues (2015) found that peer mentors helped mentees returning to the community connect to education, employment, transportation, legal, and housing resources, all while modeling effective coping strategies and interpersonal skills. Research suggests that people returning to society frequently have difficulty asking for help, but mentees interviewed by Matthews and colleagues (2020) reported finding it easier to ask for help from a peer mentor who had successfully transitioned from prison to the community. Because their mentors had successfully navigated the reentry experience, they were knowledgeable about which resources were reliable.…”