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Group drumming for incarcerated men may improve community reintegration: a mixed methods pilot study

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Abstract

Objectives

Investigate a group drumming intervention in an incarcerated, halfway house population to evaluate intervention feasibility, phenomenology of participation, and potential benefits for community reintegration.

Methods

Twenty-eight participants were randomized to either treatment as usual or a drum group held weekly for 8 weeks. Halfway house retention rates were compared. Interviews and a focus group were conducted, coded, and thematically analyzed.

Results

Retention rate was significantly higher in the drum group than in the control group (d=1.0, p<0.05). Qualitative analysis elicited that group drumming (1) functions therapeutically as a method of coping with stress, (2) promotes connection through experiencing communion and building relationship amidst social isolation, and (3) provides an environment for personal growth, particularly toward re-humanization and self-empowerment.

Conclusions

These findings suggest significant therapeutic potential of group drumming in social, emotional, and self-development domains, with quantifiable impact on community reintegration, suggesting effective interventions toward rehabilitation and decarceration.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Rahil Rojiani

  2. Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA

    Alexandra Junn & Madeleine Wood

  3. New York City, NY, USA

    Kelsey Lynne Gordon

  4. Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health, New Haven, CT, USA

    Dave Sells

  5. The Connection Institute for Innovative Practice, New Haven, CT, USA

    Dave Sells

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  1. Rahil Rojiani
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  2. Alexandra Junn
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  3. Madeleine Wood
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Rojiani, R., Junn, A., Wood, M. et al. Group drumming for incarcerated men may improve community reintegration: a mixed methods pilot study. J Exp Criminol 18, 825–846 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11292-021-09460-3

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