Can Anti-Conflict Prison Programs Reduce Violence Behavior?

• In Event: Addressing Violence: International and Local Approaches

Abstract

Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) is an international anti-conflict program in prisons and in the community. Its workshops teach non-violent conflict resolution through a series of experiential workshops that provide tools and encouragement to participants to explore non-violence with creative responses to conflict and violence. This study, which measured both state anger and trait anger, was conducted to help determine if these workshops are effective in changing inmate attitudes, thus reducing violent behavior. State anger is an emotional-physiological condition occurring in response to an immediate situation and trait anger is a stable personality dimension of anger thought to be the propensity to experience state anger.

Authors

• Jo-Ann Della Giustina, Bridgewater State University

• Jennifer Hartsfield, Bridgewater State University