Description
The mass incarceration crisis in the United States demonstrates that there is a critical need to address reintegration into the community. According to Article II, Section 317 Prison Population Projection Report March 2024, in Michigan, there were 32,778 total incarcerated men and women in 2024. As they are released, it can be profoundly difficult for individuals to reacclimate and re-enter civilian life. Occupational therapy can help to assist this large population of individuals in developing routines, obtaining resources, increasing involvement in meaningful occupations, and potentially reducing recidivism.
The purpose of this project is to examine the effectiveness of occupational therapy in increasing satisfaction and performance among currently incarcerated women. This study is meant to support advocacy for occupational therapy services, exploring how group occupational therapy sessions in collaboration with social work services may improve daily activity engagement.
First baseline data of occupational performance and satisfaction will be determined through the administration of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) in currently incarcerated women with an approaching release date who are interested in pursuing higher education. Next weekly group sessions will occur 1x per week for 2 hours with a duration of up to 8 weeks, addressing the participants’ self-identified goal areas. Followed by, readministration of the COPM upon completion of group sessions in order to evaluate the effectiveness of occupational therapy in improving occupational performance and satisfaction. This will also contribute to the final goal of identifying barriers in the current environment, perceived barriers upon release and areas where occupational therapists may assist individuals in this population from a primary and interprofessional approach.
This study is currently in progress, therefore, the results are pending.
References
Jaegers, L. A., Skinner, E., Conners, B., Hayes, C., West-Bruce, S., Vaughn, M. G., Smith, D. L., & Barney, K. F. (2020). Evaluation of the jail-based occupational therapy transition and Integration Services Program for Community reentry. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(3). https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.035287
Smith, J., Gonzalez, J., Jordan, A., Herd, H., Hutter, C., & Karimabadi, M. (2018). Occupational barriers during incarceration and quality of life. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 72(4_Supplement_1). https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2018.72s1-po3015
Elder, E., Werner, S., Crilly, J. (2025). The role , challenges, and impact of occupational therapists in custodial settings: A Scoping Review. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 72, 1-28
