Promotion of empathy, self-concept and basic values: an intervention in a female prison

Abstract

Incarceration of women is permeated by countless structural problems and inefficiency in guaranteeing fundamental rights and psychological assistance to women. In this article, the effects of intervention workshops aimed to promote self-concept, empathy, and basic values for incarcerated women are reviewed. The study comprised 56 women aged between 18 and 63 years, incarcerated in a Public Prison (M = 32.23; SD = 9.25). Fifteen of these women participated in the intervention program, while the remaining sample comprised the control group. Both groups were evaluated in the pre- and post-intervention period, using the Self-Concept Scale, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index and the Basic Values Questionnaire. During the meetings field notes and participant observations were used to describe meaningful experiences. No statistically significant variations were found in the scores of the scales used, which may be related to the need to adapt these instruments to groups with low levels of education. On the other hand, the study found that the use of workshops enabled the construction of a pedagogical space, with very different contingencies compared to the prison environment, in which women were encouraged to experience their emotions and feelings.