Doing Free Time: Why Volunteers Volunteer in Prison and the Impact They Have

• In Event: When the Outside Comes In: The Voluntary Sector’s Role in Promoting Desistance in Prisons

Abstract

This paper draws on in-depth interviews with over 20 volunteers who facilitate programming in California prisons in order to examine the motivations that influence their service. The volunteers, some of whom were previously incarcerated, offer a range of activities including faith-based programs, education, creative arts instruction, and support for substance abuse recovery. The paper will discuss specific benefits that volunteers experience, and will assess how these benefits further fuel their motivation. Indeed, interviewees consistently report that they gain more than they receive through their endeavors. The paper will pay particular attention to the motivations of the formerly incarcerated volunteers. The experience of volunteering whilst incarcerated will also be explored.

Additionally, the paper will examine regional variations in regards to the nature and degree of voluntary sector programming in prisons, assessing factors that shape these differences. The consequences for incarcerated individuals, institutional cultures, and desistance from crime, will be assessed alongside consideration of ways to encourage the service of volunteers.

Author

• Emma Hughes, California State University, Fresno