Mentors and Mentees: A Comparison of their Prison Culture Experiences in Vera’s Restoring Promise Units

• In Event: Reimagining Prison Through Education and Expression

Abstract

Vera’s Restoring Promise partners with Departments of Corrections (DOCs) at the state level to transform their culture, climate and practice for a more dignified experience in prison settings, for both staff and residents. The Restoring Promise young adults (18 to 25 years old) housing units use a combination of peer-mentorship, staff partnership, normalcy in the environment, family and community engagement, and restorative justice practices to center human dignity and improve prison environment. Throughout the implementation of units in sites located on diverse state DOCs, Vera has collected prison culture surveys to evaluate the implementation process. Eight years of research has shown that residents of the housing units perceive an improvement in the Prison Culture dimensions measured – Safety, Purpose, Family Connection, and Fairness. Using the prison culture survey across all sites, this study examines how the residents of the units' experience prison culture, contrasting experience between mentors (incarcerated adults over 25 years old, usually with long sentences) and mentees (18-25 years old). The results of this study will provide insights on the successes and potential areas of improvements that can guide adaptations to the prison environment in Restoring Promise units.

Authors

• Lidia Vásquez, Vera Institute of Justice

• Noah Bartelt, Vera Institute of Justice

• Selma Djokovic, Vera Institute of Justice