When Prison Inmates Were Taught Soccer... What Happened After Their Release

UK Researchers: "Forming Group Identity Improves Behavior"

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A study has found that teaching soccer to prison inmates enhances social bonds, improves behavior, and aids in their reintegration into society.

On the 15th, Professor Martha Newson's team at the University of Oxford in the UK announced in a paper published in the scientific journal Nature Human Behaviour that they analyzed the effects of the Twinning Project, which connects local professional soccer clubs with prisons, and reached this conclusion.

The Twinning Project is a soccer-based program aimed at improving the mental and physical health of inmates. It began by linking local professional soccer clubs such as Liverpool FC, Manchester United FC, and Chelsea FC with prisons to teach inmates soccer. Although this program is currently operated in countries including the United States, Italy, Australia, and South Africa, the research team noted that it was unclear whether it helped improve inmate behavior during incarceration, reduce crime after release, or increase employment opportunities.

In this study, the research team compared the behavior and post-release criminal records of 676 inmates who participated in the Twinning Project and 1,874 inmates who did not, among those incarcerated in 45 prisons in the UK participating in the project.

[Photo by Pixabay]

Regarding inmates' reintegration into the community after release, a survey was also conducted with 1,797 former inmates from online samples in the UK and the US to identify factors affecting their employment after release. The results showed that inmates who participated in the Twinning Project formed a positive group identity by learning soccer coaching and skills from professional soccer coaches, which improved their behavior within prison and helped their social reintegration after release.

Among inmates participating in the Twinning Project, 15 out of every 100 were punished for violating prison rules within two months after joining the program, whereas 31 out of every 100 inmates who did not participate engaged in rule-violating behavior.