The Arts in Criminal Justice – A Study of Research Feasibility
‘The Arts in Criminal Justice – A Study of Research Feasibility’, which was commissioned by the DCMS, Arts Council England and DfES, has been produced by Andrew Miles and Rebecca Clarke of the Centre for Research on Socio Economic Change at the University of Manchester.
The report investigates the cultural and practical barriers to carrying out robust research. The researchers studied projects run by five arts organisations that regularly work with offenders (Clean Break, Dance United, Connections, Rideout and TiPP). To evaluate any changes in behaviour brought about by arts interventions, it recommends a multi-methodology approach. To understand the sustained impact of arts intervention it recommends that participants need to be tracked over time - although it acknowledges the process for this could be complex and time-consuming.
The Arts In Criminal Justice A Study of Research Feasibility PDF (501kb)
Quotes:
Minister for Culture David Lammy MP said: “We have a wealth of anecdotal evidence that arts-based interventions can support the rehabilitation of offenders but we need evidence to back this up. This report provides useful recommendations on what we need to do ensure that the evidence is robust.”
Baroness Scotland, Minister for Justice at the Home Office, has also welcomed the report: “For a long time we have been seeing the positive effects that arts programmes can have on people in the criminal justice system. Many practitioners and offenders will gladly testify about the personal and educational benefits of getting involved in the arts. We will use this report, working with other partners, to develop our strategy to ensure that arts inventions in the criminal justice system have the maximum impact on reducing re-offending.”
These documents are available online in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format.
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