Final report to:Young in Prison Netherlands

15 November 2016

YOUNG IN PRISONINTERNATIONALPrepared by:

Evaluation of the “Ending impunity in torture and cruel,

inhumane and degrading treatment of children in

prison in South Africa and Malawi” project

1

Acknow

ledgements

This report would not have been

possible without the assistance

of YiP NL, YiP SA and M

usic Crossroads M

alawi (M

CM) staff

and partners, com

munity in-

formants and key donor inform

-ants, w

ho actively participated in this study. Particular thanks to the young program

me partici-

pants in Malaw

i, Johannesburg and Cape Tow

n, and to Sabrina G

erhlein and Raoul Nolen w

ho have guided this evaluation. Particular thanks also to the young m

en who shared their

stories with us in m

ore depth for the case studies.

Report produced by Impact

Consulting (w

ww

.impactconsulting.co.za)

All rights reserved. No part of

this report may be reprinted

or reproduced or utilised in any form

or by any electronic, m

echanical, or other means,

including photocopying and recording, or in any inform

ation storage or retrieval system

, with-

out permission in w

riting from

Young in Prison Netherlands and

Impact Consulting.

Report to: Young in Prison (YiP)W

ritten by: Jerushah Rangasam

i, Anja Mulder

Field research: Jerushah Rangasam

i, Maria Stacey, Anja

Mulder, Lindy D

lamini

Design: Jennifer G

eib

This project is funded by the EU,

Diorapthe, Cordaid and ICCO

.

CONTENTS1. CO

NTEXT .........................................................................................................................................................7

1.1 Youth in conflict w

ith the law in South Africa and M

alawi ..............................................................................7

1.2 U

sing creative therapy and lifeskills education to mitigate the eff

ects of CIDTP on prisoners ..................8

1.2.1 Docum

ented outcomes of arts program

mes in prison

8

1.2.2 Effects of arts therapy on prison quality of life

9

1.2.3 Examples of prison arts program

mes im

plemented in South Africa and Colum

bia 10

1.3 Im

plementation of successful arts program

mes w

ith YICWTL .....................................................................10

2. PROJECT A

ND

ORG

AN

ISATIO

NA

L OVERVIEW

S ...........................................................................................12

2.1 Project overview

.................................................................................................................................................12

2.2 Project partner organisations ...........................................................................................................................12

2.3 Project content ....................................................................................................................................................12

3. EVALU

ATIO

N O

VERVIEW &

METH

OD

OLO

GY ..............................................................................................14

3.1 Evaluation purpose, objectives and approach ................................................................................................14

3.2 Evaluation questions ..........................................................................................................................................14

3.3 Evaluation m

ethods and participants ..............................................................................................................15

3.4 Study Lim

itations ................................................................................................................................................15

4. FIND

ING

S .......................................................................................................................................................17

4.1 Em

erging theory of change ...............................................................................................................................17

4.2 Program

me im

plementation and activities .....................................................................................................18

4.2.1 Activities and strategies 18

4.2.2 Implem

entation processes 19

4.2.3 Achievement against grant targets

20

4.2.4 Key implem

entation success factors for achieving outcomes

20

4.2.5 Key implem

entation challenges 23

4.3 O

utcomes and im

pact ........................................................................................................................................24

4.3.1 For YICWTL ........

24

4.3.2 For warders and the prison policies and system

s 29

4.3.3 Reduction in CIDTP

30

5. RECOM

MEN

DA

TION

S ...................................................................................................................................34

5.1 M

ore structured engagement w

ith the prison staff .......................................................................................34

5.2 Further post-release support for yicw

tl participants .....................................................................................34

5.2.1 Vocational skills 34

5.2.2 Linkage to art and music opportunities

35

5.2.3 Partnership with a safe house for post-release

35

5.3 Project m

anagement and im

plementation .....................................................................................................35

5.3.1 Project implem

entation within prisons

35

5.3.2 Refine the YIP SA implem

entation model and processes

36

5.3.3 Project staff developm

ent and wellness

36

6. CON

CLUSIO

N ................................................................................................................................................36

TABLES

GLOSSARYCorrectional Facilities: Prison centres w

here youth are incarceratedFacilitator/ Im

plementing staff

: People providing workshops to youth

in conflict with the law

as part of the Young in Prison programm

eParticipants: Incarcerated youth betw

een the ages of 18 and 25 who

participate on the Young in Prison programm

eYouth in Confl

ict with the Law

: Anyone under the age of 25 who com

es into contact w

ith the justice system as a result of being suspected or

accused of comm

itting an offence.

ACRONYMS

CIDTP

Cruel, Inhum

ane or Degrading Treatm

ent or Punishment

COPO

SO

Contributing Positively to SocietyEID

HR

European Instrum

ent for Dem

ocracy and Hum

an RightsEU

European Union

MCM

Music Crossroads M

alawi

MSC

M

ost Significant ChangeToC

Theory of Change

YICWTL

Youth in Conflict with the Law

YiP

Young in PrisonYiP N

L

Young in Prison Netherlands

YiP SA

Young in Prison South Africa

Table 1.Evaluation m

ethods and participants……

……

……

21

FIGURESFigure 1.

Draft program

me theory of change…

……

……

……

22

32

EXECUTIVE SUMM

ARY

Children and youth make up a relatively large portion of the general prison

population throughout Africa, and many spend their form

ative years in prison centres. Ill-treatm

ent between youths in conflict w

ith the law

(YICWTL) and by prison staff

, as well as poor prison conditions, culm

inate in hum

an rights violations for these young prisoners. Regularly, YICWTL are

denied access to clean water and sanitation, m

edication, adequate space and food, and appropriate treatm

ent. Research shows that cruel, inhum

ane, degrading treatm

ent and punishment (CID

TP) can have lasting physical, cognitive, psychological and em

otional consequences, and can lead to Post-Traum

atic Stress Disorder in young off

enders. A hostile prison environment

and negative experiences of CIDTP have been found to contribute to high

rates of recidivism.

Young in Prison in the Netherlands (YiP N

L) developed a workshop-based

programm

e using the arts to focus on improved life skills and self-devel-

opment for YICW

TL. The programm

e attempts to help YICW

TL to develop coping skills for the harsh conditions of their daily experiences in prison, as w

ell as to prepare them for the real-life – often diffi

cult – contexts to which

they will return post-release. The program

me also hopes to instil long-term

life-skills in YICW

TL in an attempt to reduce the rate of recidivism

.

This report is an evaluation of the effectiveness of the “Ending im

punity in torture and cruel, inhum

ane and degrading treatment of children in prison

in South Africa and Malaw

i” project. The European Union (EU

)’s European Instrum

ent for Dem

ocracy and Hum

an Rights (EIDH

R) programm

e funded the project’s im

plementation in South Africa and M

alawi betw

een January 2014 and June 2016 (extended to D

ecember 2016). Im

plementing partners

are Young in Prison South Africa (YiP SA) and Music Crossroads M

alawi

(MCM

). In both Malaw

i and South Africa, the programm

e is based on the CO

POSO

methodology, w

hich has a core focus of enabling participants to contribute positively to society. In South Africa, activities focused around m

usic, visual art and creative writing. In M

alawi, activities revolved around

training in various instruments, dance and drum

ming, painting, tailoring

and fish-net making. All activities w

ere used to explore topics around identity, violence, and coping and w

ere aimed at developing and im

proving 13 core life-skills (self-esteem

, empathy, eff

ective comm

unication, managing

social relationships, positive cooperation, critical thinking, emotion regula-

tion, self-reflection, stress managem

ent, coping with conflict, decision-m

ak-ing, goal-setting, being a positive contributor to society).

This report contributes to the knowledge base of prison program

mes; not

many prison arts program

mes have been evaluated for their eff

ectiveness, and particularly not program

mes from

the Global South. The evaluation w

as conducted to assess to w

hat extent it has met contractual agreem

ents, and to im

prove the programm

e going forward. Evaluation objectives included:

54

the stress of prison life, improves the w

ay that they relate to and interact w

ith others, gives them hope for the future, and instils a desire to becom

e positive role m

odels for others. Such shifts in behaviour should logically result in less perpetration of CID

TP (and there is some evidence of this from

the research).

It is hoped that skills and positive changes in YICWTL w

ould likely continue once individuals are released from

prison, which should reduce recidivism

.

Outcom

es can be greater and more sustained if w

ork is done with the

prison staff at the sam

e time, as w

ith YICWL. W

here prison staff have been

trained, it has resulted in improved com

munication and conflict m

anage-m

ent skills for staff too, as w

ell as increased their understanding of par-ticipants’ rights and im

proved their levels of empathy. This, in turn, results

in prison staff behaving in a m

ore pro-social manner tow

ards YICWTL,

which reduces the incidence of CID

TP. Finally, building this understanding of rights and em

pathy, alongside advocacy efforts tow

ards realising the rights of prisoners and reducing CID

TP, can result in better prison systems

and policies that reduce the incidence of CIDTP and could contribute to a

reduction in recidivism too. M

ore evidence is needed with regards to this

once the project is implem

enting more system

atic work w

ith prisons and prison staff

.

To maxim

ise the positive impact of the program

me, it is recom

mended that

there is:

• M

ore structured engagement w

ith more prison staff

, possibly by institutionalising the training off

ered within prison training centres

• Further vocational skills off

ered, linkage to art and music

opportunities and assistance to access safe houses post-release•

Revisions to project managem

ent and implem

entation processes, both w

ithin prisons and particularly with YiP SA’s current m

odel•

Investment in project staff

development and w

ellbeing.

On the w

hole, the programm

e is successful, and, with som

e design adjust-m

ents, has the potential to realise good impact. A particular focus is needed

on a tighter and more cohesive m

anagement system

in South Africa.

• assessing im

pact and outcomes achieved by the program

me on

YICWTL w

ho experience CIDTP in South African and M

alawian prisons

• assessing im

pact and outcomes on the capacity of prison centres to

prevent CIDTP

• assessing the im

pact and outcomes of the program

me on policym

ak-er’s decisions to ban torture, CID

TP and impunity.

The evaluation was initially designed to use m

ixed methods consisting of a

survey for YICWTL and w

arders about the frequency of CIDTP incidents, as

well as in-depth interview

s and focus groups. How

ever, the administration

of the survey was not perm

itted in most of the prisons due to the nature of

the questions. Instead, the qualitative aspect of the study was expanded to

understand outcomes and reasons for them

.

The evaluation was conducted in a participatory and inclusive m

anner. Program

me records and program

me data from

Malaw

i and South Africa w

ere used for desktop review. A total of 60 YICW

TL took part in focus groups of betw

een four and 15 participants, conducted at two prisons in

Malaw

i and six prisons in South Africa. The Most Significant Change (M

SC) m

ethodology was used to engage w

ith YICWTL participants, and interview

s w

ere held with a four m

ember team

of implem

enting staff, prison staff

and key inform

ants in Malaw

i, and 12 mem

bers in South Africa. In addition, three in depth case studies w

ere collected from sites in M

alawi, Cape Tow

n and Johannesburg. A total of 178 participants w

ere engaged in the evalua-tion, w

hen including those who com

pleted questionnaires.

There were som

e delays in implem

entation due to the prisons’ own sched-

ule of activities and priorities. With the project extension of six m

onths, both countries exceeded the targets in the grant agreem

ent.

Evaluation findings show that the program

me im

plementation success

factors have been:

• providing YICW

TL with safe spaces in order for them

to build trust•

working closely and sensitively w

ith the prisons•

using art and music therapy to build life skills and learn about hum

an rights; developing art, m

usic and some craft/m

anual skills; being flexible and em

ergent in terms of im

plementing the program

me

• training prison staff

in human rights (M

alawi)

• m

aking submissions to parliam

ent regarding prison conditions in M

alawi.

Implem

entation of the programm

e in this way has enabled the follow

ing outcom

es: The use of creative therapy medium

s and skills development

with YICW

TL in a setting and space which is safe, allow

s them to becom

e m

ore self-aware and self-accepting, grow

s their confidence to express them

selves and to trust others, equips them w

ith better comm

unication and conflict m

anagement skills, helps them

understand both their own

and others’ rights, and fosters their sense of empathy. These shifts in their

attitudes towards them

selves and others helps YICWTL to cope better w

ith

76

STRATEGIES & OUTCOM

ES

LEARNINGS FOR SUCCESS

YOUNG IN PRISONINTERNATIONAL

The “Ending Impunity in Torture and Cruel, Inhum

an and Degrading Treatm

ent of Children in Prisons in South Africa and Malaw

i” Project

“In one of the sessions w

e had to ask ourselves

“Do you love yourself? “I

thought I loved m

yself but the question m

akes m

e realise that if I loved m

yself I w

ould not be here –I w

ould not have m

ade the wrong

choices I made

that landed me in

prison.”- participant

Implem

enting PartnersYoung in Prison (YiP) South Africa and M

usic Crossroads in M

alawi im

-plem

ented the EU-funded

project in their respective countries, m

anaged by YIP International.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

GeographyThe project w

as im

plemented in

South Africa and M

alawi betw

een January 2014 and D

ecember 2016.

“When I draw

, I stop thinking bad things.”

- participant

Improved

self-esteem

and self-aw

areness and

connection w

ith em

otions

Improved

ability to cope w

ith stress

Hope for

the future

Improved

pro-social interactions w

ith others

Desire

to be a positive

role model

Ability to

express oneself

Better com

munication

and conflict m

anagement

skills

Understanding

of own rights

and the rights of others

Higher

levels of em

pathy

Ability to

trust others

Short-term

outcomes

Programm

e Strategies

Reduction in CID

TP in prisons

Long-term

outcomes

Better prison policies and

systems

Medium

-term

outcomes

The programm

e used the following

strategies to contribute towards the

intended outcomes:

Safe space for inm

ates

Art/music

therapy for

inmates

Development

of skills for inm

ates

Human

rights training

for prison staff

Advocacy for hum

an rights

Close w

orking relationships

with the

prisons

Reduction in

recidivism

ContextResearch show

s that cruel, inhum

an and degrading treatm

ent of children in prisons can have lasting physical, psychological and em

otional consequences (U

NICEF, 2013).

The programm

e evaluation highlighted several areas for potential program

me

improvem

ent

Improved project

managem

ent and im

plementation,

particularly in South Africa

Further post-release

support

More structured

engagement w

ith m

ore prison staff

Investment in

staff development

and wellbeing

ResultsIn both M

alawi

and South Africa, the

programm

e exceeded its

grant targets, including total

number of

participants.

953

416

1369

South A

frica

Total

Malaw

i

Project Model

Three parallel trainings are run in prisons: the Inside O

ut programm

e with YICW

TL participants (18-21 in M

alawi

and 18-25 in South Africa), hum

an rights training with

prison staff, and advocacy

with policy m

akers.

98

1.2 USING CREATIVE THERAPY AND LIFESKILLS EDUCATION TO M

ITIGATE THE EFFECTS OF CIDTP ON PRISONERS

The use of arts for therapy and education purposes has been well docu-

mented in the U

nited States and the United Kingdom

7; however, there is

very limited evidence regarding these program

mes in developing countries

and the African continent. More context-rich fram

eworks for Southern

African countries are required8. Som

e documented benefits follow

.

1.2.1 DOCUMENTED OUTCOM

ES OF ARTS PROGRAMM

ES IN PRISON

Arts programm

es in correctional facilities, in which a non-verbal form

of therapy is provided to YICW

TL using the medium

s of music, art, dram

a and m

ovement 9 have been show

n to promote healing, ‘reform

’, connection, col-laboration, to im

prove self-esteem and em

otional literacy10, and to im

prove socialisation to enable the expression of em

otions and to help reconnect YICW

TL to their humanness

11.

Arts therapies should ideally be delivered in a safe, positive and construc-tive m

anner and, when this is set up correctly, they can result in several key

therapeutic benefits12, including the follow

ing:

• Provides an alternative form

of comm

unication for YICWTL w

ith poor literacy and w

ho feel too vulnerable to express themselves verbally

13

• Connects im

plementing staff

and YICWTL in prison, and YICW

TL and their fam

ily outside of the prison environment 14

• Facilitates self-expression and self-exploration

• Provides an appropriate m

edium through w

hich to express and process anger and aggression

• Produces a finished product that can be used to initiate conversation and discussion

• Encourages active involvem

ent by YICWTL

• Prom

otes creativity and recreation•

Helps YICW

TL to acknowledge that others have been hurt by their

actions15

• Allow

s YICWTL to take responsibility for their crim

es16

• Breaks the cycle of fear and violence

17

• Aids in developing strategies against re-off

ending18.

In addition, collaboration and working together as a group using dram

a and m

usic can facilitate personal transformation in YICW

TL:

7 E

dgar, 20128

Edgar, 2012

9 Johnson, 2008

10 M

eekums &

Daniel, 2011

11 http://w

ww

.younginprison.org.za12

Liebmann, 1994 as cited in Johnson, 2008

13 G

ussak, 200714

Johnson, 200815

Johnson, 200816

Johnson, 200817

Koch et al, 2015

18 G

race, 1993

1. CONTEXT

1.1 YOUTH IN CONFLICT W

ITH THE LAW IN SOUTH AFRICA AND M

ALAWI

Children and youth make up betw

een 0.5 and 2.5% of the general prison

population in Africa. Youth in Conflict with the Law

(YICWTL) m

ust often endure lengthy w

aiting periods before they get put on trial and, in many cases,

youth who are incarcerated spend form

ative developmental years in prison

1. Research show

s that, in both South Africa and Malaw

i, human rights are not

upheld for juveniles. There is documented evidence of juveniles in a prison in

Cape Town occupying cells in groups far exceeding the space available, and

Malaw

ian prison conditions are inhumane and fundam

entally breach human

rights2, w

ith documented instances of prisoners spending 14 hours each day

in a cell with up to 160 other m

en, packed on the concrete floor, and unable to m

ove, with no clean w

ater or adequate sanitation, and diseases running rife3.

“At 4

pm

, they a

re h

erd

ed

into

a d

ozen

co

ncrete

cells

. Fo

urte

en

ho

urs la

ter, a

t 6a

m,

they a

re le

t ou

t aga

in” 4.

Some of the challenges that prisons in South Africa and M

alawi face, that exac-

erbate cruel, inhumane and degrading treatm

ent and punishment (CID

TP) of prisoners, include issues of staffi

ng, inadequate training and other resources, m

eagre food supplies, poor healthcare, and insufficient transport facilities

5, 6.

Research on the effects of ill-treatm

ent on young offenders in prison show

s that CID

TP can have lasting physical, psychological and emotional consequenc-

es (UN

ICEF, 2013). Beatings – a comm

on form of m

altreatment in prisons – can

lead to internal injuries and cognitive problems. Em

otional abuse, leading to increased anxiety and depression, com

pounds the physical ill-treatment and

has been reported to lead to individuals developing Post-Traumatic Stress

Disorder, w

ith young offenders exhibiting sym

ptoms such as im

pulsiveness, non-com

munication, diffi

culties in trusting people, poor concentration, aggression, and fatigue (U

NICEF, 2013). Additionally, psychological torture can

cause weakened social relations, thereby m

aking social exclusion of individuals m

ore likely. Furthermore, young off

enders often spend many of their critical

developmental years in prison. Interruptions in their social and educational

development can have negative long-term

effects as it can lead to lim

ited em-

ployment opportunities once individuals are released, and therefore increase

the risk of further unlawful activities (Becker, 1968). The D

anish Institute against Torture (2013) found that a hostile prison environm

ent and negative experiences of CID

TP consequently contribute to high rates of recidivism.

1 Jerem

y Sarkin; P

risons in Africa: A

n evaluation from a hum

an rights perspective; International Journal on H

uman R

ights. 20092

IrishRuleofLaw

Malaw

i(http://irishruleoflaw.ie/our-projects/m

alawi)

3MichaelW

ines:TheforgottenofAfrica,w

astingawayinjailsw

ithouttrial;New

YorkTimes;

Novem

ber6,20054

MichaelW

ines:TheforgottenofAfrica,w

astingawayinjailsw

ithouttrial;New

YorkTimes;

Novem

ber6,20055

MichaelW

ines:TheforgottenofAfrica,w

astingawayinjailsw

ithouttrial;New

YorkTimes;

Novem

ber6,20056

Jeremy S

arkin; Prisons in A

frica: An evaluation from

a human rights perspective; International

Journal on Hum

an Rights. 2009

1110

“Th

e e

xp

erie

nce o

f wo

rkin

g a

s p

art o

f a te

am

, reco

gn

isin

g a

nd

fulfilling your responsibilities, being valued for your contribution, and depending on and valuing the contribution of others,

are part of the experience required to become a responsible

citiz

en

.” 19

Reported educational benefits of art therapy with YICW

TL include20:

• Learning to view

the world in new

and different w

ays•

Developing m

ulticultural awareness am

ongst YICWTL

• D

iscovering inner potential and different interests

• Im

proving comm

unication•

Raising awareness of others’ ideas, and lifestyles

21.

Well-im

plemented program

mes addressing academ

ic needs, social skills, em

otion regulation, and artistic education are most strongly associated

with reduced recidivism

22. Research on more than 4,000 state prisoners in

California by Burdon, Messina and Prendergast (2004) indicates that in-

creased time spent in rehabilitative treatm

ent programm

es in prison leads to increased participation in after-care program

mes, as w

ell as a reduced recidivism

rate over a 12-month period post-release.

1.2.2 EFFECTS OF ARTS THERAPY ON PRISON QUALITY OF LIFE

Arts therapy programm

es in prisons contribute to an improved sense of

quality of life23. Such program

mes aid in m

eeting “the need for constructive, creative, and purposeful activities to offset the deleterious and dehum

anising effects of prison life” and prom

ote “personal development, self-esteem

, and a sm

all d

egree o

f au

ton

om

y.” 24

Reported improvem

ents relate to25:

• Building cooperative relationships am

ongst YICWTL, and betw

een YICW

TL and staff•

Temporarily escaping from

the harsh and controlling life in prison•

Becoming involved in recreational activity

• D

eveloping the skills to produce items for sale

• U

sing alternative methods to process frustrations

26.

19 Aylott, 2002 as cited in Johnson, 2008

20 Johnson, 2008

21 C

lements, 2004

22 Vacca, 2004

23 C

lements, 2004

24 R

iches, 1994 as cited in Johnson, 200825

Johnson, 200826

Clem

ents, 2004

1312

1.2.3 EXAMPLES OF PRISON ARTS PROGRAM

MES IM

PLEMENTED IN SOUTH

AFRICA AND COLUMBIA

Programm

es implem

ented by La Familia Ayara in Colum

bia in 2012, which

involved hip hop workshops and m

entorship sessions with youth pre- and

post-release, focused on improving expression through rap, break-dancing

and graffiti. The YiP SA ‘Inside-O

ut’ programm

e was also evaluated in 2012,

assessing its use of art, music and dram

a to develop various life-skills, and m

entoring youth pre- and post-release to provide guidance around reinte-grating into society and w

ork environments.

Findings for both case studies reported successfully contributing to im-

provements in

2728:

• positive personal transform

ation•

improved inter-personal relationships

• increased support and em

ployment opportunities

• im

proved sense of worth and belonging

29

• im

proved self-esteem, self-confidence and self-belief

• better em

otion regulation•

goal-setting•

skills development

• ability to engage in constructive group w

ork•

improved attitude

• a sense of belonging

• a sense of tem

porary autonomy.

1.3 IM

PLEMENTATION OF SUCCESSFUL ARTS PROGRAM

MES W

ITH YICWTL

The implem

entation of a successful arts programm

e is a complex synergy

between the art service provider, learners, teachers, and fam

ily, whilst

recognising the context in which YICW

TL reside.

Programm

es that have been reported as being most successful are

30:

• Experiential

• Active

• H

ands-on•

Real world focused

• Ideally consisting of a collaborative sm

all group where social and

cognitive learning are combined

• Sustained over a period of tim

e.

27 G

ast, 201228

Gast, 2012

29 G

ast, 201230

Wolf, 2003

Finally, important characteristics of successful arts program

mes are that

they31:

• R

each YICWTL in w

ays that they are not otherwise being reached

• C

onnect YICWTL to them

selves and each other.

The literature shows that correctional program

mes are m

ore successful w

hen implem

ented in such a way that cooperation is obtained from

every-one w

orking in the correctional facilities32 and w

hen trained arts profession-als are em

ployed33.

31 S

tiegelbauer, 200832

Johnson, 200833

Schoonover, 1986

1514

2. PROJECT AND ORGANISATIONAL OVERVIEW

S

The “Ending impunity in torture and cruel, inhum

ane and degrading treat-m

ent of children in prison” project is led by Young in Prison Netherlands,

and implem

ented by Young in Prison South Africa (YiP SA) and Music

Crossroads Malaw

i (MCM

).

2.1 PROJECT OVERVIEW

The European Union (EU

)’s European Instrument for D

emocracy and

Hum

an Rights (EIDH

R) programm

e has funded the project, which is entitled

“Ending impunity in torture and cruel, inhum

ane and degrading treatment

of children in prison in South Africa and Malaw

i” (reference number

EuropeAid/ 132762/C/ACT/Multi). The project w

as initially funded to run betw

een January 2014 until June 2016, and an extension was granted until

Decem

ber 2016.

2.2 PROJECT PARTNER ORGANISATIONS

• Young in Prison N

etherlands34: a w

orldwide initiative that uses

creative medium

s to give children in prison a voice and a chance to m

ake a sustainable change in their lives and to become positively

contributing mem

bers of society. YiP is currently active in Colombia,

Malaw

i and South Africa.•

Young in Prison South Africa (YiP SA

) 35: a non-profit organisation that prepares children and youth in conflict w

ith the law to m

ake the transition from

incarceration back into society through imparting

life skills for behaviour change, and offering skills developm

ent for eff

ective reintegration and reductions in reoffending. YiP SA teaches

life skills through creative and performing arts, sports and literacy in

Cape Town and Johannesburg.

• M

usic Crossroads Malaw

i: a non-profit organisation that uses the pow

er of music education, professional training, live perform

ance and prom

otion of young talents to support the development of the

music education sector and the m

usic industry in the southern African region, and to em

power people in Africa through m

usic.

2.3 PROJECT CONTENT

The COPO

SO m

ethodology is implem

ented through this project. Its primary

focus is ensuring that participants are ultimately able to contribute posi-

tively to society, through aiming to achieve the 13 core objectives. These

include developing and improving the follow

ing life skills:

1. Self-esteem

, self-confidence, and self-development

2. Em

pathy, in order to be able to see situations from another’s perspec-

tive and understand how others m

ight be feeling3.

Effective verbal and non-verbal com

munication

4. Appropriate behaviour, in order to better m

anage social relationships5.

Positive cooperation, and to learn to share and be generous6.

Creative and critical thinking7.

YICWTL’s understanding, m

anagement and regulation of em

otions in order to better cope w

ith emotions

8. Self-reflection in order to better understand personal com

petencies and beliefs

9. Coping skills to better m

anage stress and frustration10.

Understanding the source of conflict and to react m

ore positively in these circum

stances in order to better cope with the conflict

11. Independent action and decision-m

aking12.

Goal setting and eff

ective planning to be able to meet short-term

, m

edium-term

and longer-term goals

13. Ability to be a positive actor in society post-release, w

ith participants contributing to their com

munities, taking responsibility for their

futures, and managing their ow

n health.

34 A

dapted from w

ww

.younginprison.nl35

Adapted from

ww

w.younginprison.org.za

1716

3. EVALUATION OVERVIEW &

M

ETHODOLOGY

3.1 EVALUATION PURPOSE, OBJECTIVES AND APPROACH

The evaluation’s primary purposes are to dem

onstrate accountability tow

ards meeting the contractual agreem

ents, and to aid learning going forw

ard. The study aimed to evaluate:

• the im

pact/outcomes

36 of the programm

e on children and youth w

ho suffer from

torture or cruel, inhumane or degrading treatm

ent or punishm

ent (examples of CID

TP are attached in appendix A) – in term

s of their levels of psychosocial and physical wellbeing, w

ith a focus on trying to understand the stated objective to “low

er the num

ber of children in prison that suffer from

torture and cruel, inhum

ane or degrading treatment or punishm

ent (CITDP) in M

alawi

and South Africa”•

the impact/outcom

es of the programm

e on the capacity of prison institutions and related associations to prevent torture and CID

TP from

happening•

the impact/outcom

es of the programm

e on the understanding of policym

akers in terms of how

to ban torture and CIDTP and im

punity.

The evaluation was carried out in a participatory and inclusive m

anner, with

a focus on understanding the context and processes that lead to outcomes,

and the logical progression of outcomes tow

ards the desired impact.

3.2 EVALUATION QUESTIONS

Evaluation questions were finalised w

ith YiP during evaluation planning. The key overarching evaluation questions w

ere:

• W

hat have been the most significant changes in the lives of children

and youths in prison because of the programm

e?•

What changes have the children and youth in prison experienced in term

s of torture or C

IDTP because of the program

me?

• H

ow have levels of psychosocial w

ellbeing and physical wellbeing

changed because of the programm

e?•

How

has the capacity of prison institutions and related associations changed to prevent torture and C

IDTP from

happening?•

What changes have occurred for policym

akers in terms of their under-

standing of how to ban torture and C

IDTP and im

punity?•

What are the key hindering factors and how

does context affect

these?

36 A

lthough the call for proposals states that the evaluation is an “impact” evaluation, som

e of the effects that are to be evaluated w

ill be on an outcomes level.

1918

• W

hat are the key enabling/success factors and how does context

affect these?

• W

hat changes should the programm

e make in the future to have

more im

pact (be more eff

ective), whilst rem

aining efficient?

3.3 EVALUATION M

ETHODS AND PARTICIPANTS

The evaluation was initially designed to use m

ixed methods consisting of a

survey about CIDTP for YICW

TL and warders, as w

ell as in-depth interviews

and focus groups. How

ever, permission to adm

inister the survey was

denied due to the suspicions of prison staff w

ith regards to the use of the data. The qualitative aspect of the study w

as then expanded to try to better understand the program

me in this w

ay. The study used the following

methods:

• Analysis of program

me records and data in M

alawi and South Africa

• O

ne participant focus group per prison in Malaw

i and South Africa, using the M

ost Significant Change (MSC) storytelling m

ethodology – a dialogical, story-based technique

37

• Interview

s with im

plementing staff

, prison staff and key inform

ants•

Three case studies (one each from Johannesburg, Cape Tow

n and M

alawi) for m

ore in-depth investigation of outcomes.

One cohort of participants from

Malaw

i and one cohort from South Africa

were selected to take part in the evaluation. These cohorts participated in

each of the country’s programm

es in 2016 (using the most recent project

methodologies), a few

months prior to the collection of data for the

evaluation.

A total of 178 participants were involved in the evaluation, as show

n in the table on the follow

ing page.

3.4 STUDY LIM

ITATIONS

The study was designed to m

easure the impact of the project, ie w

hether the levels of CID

TP had been reduced through the programm

e. YICWTL and

prison staff w

ere to complete the surveys prior to starting the program

me,

again imm

ediately after the programm

e ended, and then six months

after they had graduated to test sustainability of the outcomes. In M

alawi,

permission w

as granted to administer the pre-test; how

ever, the prison staff

would not allow

the data to be collected again. In South Africa, despite m

any attempts, the survey w

as not allowed to be adm

inistered in the prisons. Therefore, the study has relied on qualitative m

ethods only, and is therefore an outcom

es evaluation rather than an impact evaluation.

37DartandD

avies(2003)

Participant groupParticipants

Research methods

Num

ber TO

TAL

MA

LAW

IIm

plementing staff

Music Crossroads M

alawi Staff

Interview1

1

Prison staffKachere w

arderInterview

157

Bzyanzi warder

Interview1

Prison staff: M

alawi

Questionnaire

55

Informants

Key Informant: (CELA)

Interview1

1

YICTWL participants

Prison 1 YICWTL

Focus group15

73

Case study participant: Prison 1Case study interview

1

Prison 2 YICWTL

Focus group14

Case study participant: Prison 2Case study interview

1

Prison 1 and 2 YICWTL

Questionnaire (adm

inis-tration only perm

itted at program

me start, but not

at the end)

42

Total Malaw

i132

SOU

TH A

FRICAIm

plementing staff

YiP staffInterview

37

Art facilitatorInterview

3

Music facilitator

Interview1

Prison staffInform

antsCape Tow

n Prison 1 warder

Interview1

6

Cape Town Prison 2 social w

orkerInterview

1

Cape Town Prison 3 case offi

cerInterview

1

Cape Town Prison 4 Centre

coordinatorInterview

1

Johannesburg Prison post-release facilitator

Interview1

Volunteer PsychologistInterview

1

YICWTL participants

Cape Town Prison 1 YICW

TLFocus group

633

Cape Town Prison 2 YICW

TLFocus group

4

Cape Town Prison 3 YICW

TLFocus group

7

Cape Town Prison 4 YICW

TLFocus group

9

Johannesburg Prison YICWTL

Focus group5

Case study participant: Cape Town

Case study interview1

Case study participant: Johannesburg Case study interview

1

Total South Africa

46TO

TAL

178

Table 1. Evaluation methods and participants21

20

4. FINDINGS

4.1 EM

ERGING THEORY OF CHANGE

Using the program

me’s intended goals (see Appendix 2), and the data

gathered during the evaluation from both M

alawi and South Africa, a draft

theory of change was developed as part of the evaluation process. This

diagramm

atically outlines the outcomes of the program

me, and how

these outcom

es link to one another.

Figure 1: Draft program

me theory of change

To summ

arise the diagram: The use of creative therapy m

ediums and skills

development w

ith YICWTL in a setting and space w

hich is safe, allows them

to becom

e more self-aw

are and self-accepting, grows their confidence to

express themselves and to trust others, equips them

with better com

mu-

nication and conflict managem

ent skills, helps them understand both their

own and others’ rights, and fosters their sense of em

pathy. These shifts in their attitudes tow

ards themselves and others helps YICW

TL to cope better w

ith the stress of prison life, improves the w

ay that they relate to and interact w

ith others, gives them hope for the future, and instils a desire

to become positive role m

odels for others. Such shifts in behaviour would

logically result in less perpetration of CIDTP (and there is som

e evidence of this). Skills and positive changes in YICW

TL would likely continue once

individuals are released from prison, w

hich could reduce recidivism (th

is is

a

theoretical link at the mom

ent, there is no evidence of this link as yet).

Outcom

es can be greater and more sustained if w

ork is done with the

prison staff at the sam

e time. Training prison staff

assists to improve

comm

unication and conflict managem

ent skills for staff too, increases

their understanding of participants’ rights and improves levels of em

pathy. This, in turn, results in prison staff

behaving in a more pro-social m

anner tow

ards YICWTL, w

hich reduces the incidence of CIDTP. Finally, building this

understanding of rights and empathy, alongside advocacy eff

orts towards

realising the rights of prisoners and reducing CIDTP, can result in better

prison systems and policies that reduce the incidence of CID

TP and could contribute to a reduction in recidivism

too (aga

in, a

t this

po

int th

ere is

no

t yet

evidence from the project for this link).

4.2 PROGRAM

ME IM

PLEMENTATION AND ACTIVITIES

4.2.1 ACTIVITIES AND STRATEGIES

As illustrated in the diagram, the follow

ing programm

e strategies/activities w

ere identified as successful towards achieving outcom

es:

• Providing YICW

TL with a safe space: ie a space that is non-judgem

en-tal, w

here they are able to have enough trust to allow the intended

processes and outcomes to unfold

• U

sing creative life skills programm

e for YICWTL to learn about

human rights and obtain life skills (called the “H

uman Rights Training

Programm

e” in Malaw

i and the “Inside Out Program

me” in South

Africa)•

Developm

ent of skills (art and music skills, as w

ell as some craft

skills in Malaw

i)•

During the period w

hich was under review

, there were three H

uman

Rights training sessions conducted with prison staff

in Malaw

i. In South Africa, sim

ilar engagement w

ith prison staff did not occur

between July 2015 and Septem

ber 2016. This training was done in

Malaw

i “usin

g a

pa

rtic

ipa

tory a

pp

ro

ach

with

rea

l exa

mp

les, c

ase s

tud

ies,

dis

cu

ssio

ns a

nd

exercis

es” (Im

plementing staff

).•

In Malaw

i, the following advocacy eff

orts took place:

2322

»M

CM led three subm

issions/presentations to parliament about

conditions in prisons. Referencing international declarations (U

N, SAD

C) on prison conditions to which M

alawi is a signatory

and using data gathered from a baseline study, M

CM highlight-

ed a need for change in the following areas: a) Lack of adequate

education and vocational training in prison, b) serious lack of regular and adequately nutritious m

eals in prisons, c) conges-tion of prison cells w

hich results in physical and mental health

challenges, as well as interpersonal conflict.

»Their partner organisation, CELA, also takes up cases of hum

an rights violations against YICWTL, such as ensuring that

prisoners have access to HIV m

edication (interview w

ith MCM

im

plementing staff

).

4.2.2 IMPLEM

ENTATION PROCESSES

4.2.2.1 SELECTION CRITERIA

The YiP SA criteria for selection in South Africa (though these are not always

met, as prisons have their ow

n selection processes) are that participants should be:

• boys betw

een the ages of 18 – 25•

must be in for short to m

edium sentences

• m

ust be in the last 6 - 12 months of their sentence.

The selection criteria in Malaw

i are that participants should be:

• boys betw

een the ages of 18 – 21•

boys serving a sentence of 4 months – 5 years.

Prison staff select participants after an assessm

ent by a case officer. Their

criteria include that they select:

• those in need of psychological and em

otional support (eg, if they are aggressive, “m

entally challenged” or mentally ill)

• those w

ho are struggling with the confined spaces.

In one Cape Town prison, the w

arders only allow YICW

TL to join Inside Out

if they believe that the individual does not belong to a gang. The YiP SA staff report that this is based on a perception from

the staff that those gang

mem

bers who need to keep up their rank in a gang w

ill not express emo-

tions and therefore will not benefit from

the programm

e and may hinder

others. This was not the case in other prisons.

4.2.2.2 PROJECT CYCLE

After an orientation/induction for prison staff in the first w

eek, a cohort of young m

en will participate in an 8 to 12-w

eek process. At the end of the cycle, participants are aw

arded with certificates at an appreciation day,

2524

where their fam

ilies are invited to witness this m

ilestone and to watch the

young men show

case their music/art w

ork and key life lessons.

YiP SA provides monthly and quarterly schedules and class content sheets

to be approved before the programm

e can be delivered. At the end of a program

me, a full program

me report is produced.

4.2.3 ACHIEVEMENT AGAINST GRANT TARGETS

The table below outlines the key outputs achieved in South Africa and

Malaw

i according to the grant targets*. All targets were exceeded in both

countries (although South Africa ran slightly fewer hum

an rights training sessions for staff

than planned, but still exceeded the target amount of

participants).

4.2.4 KEY IMPLEM

ENTATION SUCCESS FACTORS FOR ACHIEVING OUTCOMES.

The evaluation found that the following factors have allow

ed the pro-gram

me to be a success.

4.2.4.1 USING A CREATIVE MEDIUM

Art, drama and m

usic are appealing medium

s that are interesting, accessi-ble, relatable and draw

YICWTL in: “It’s

ha

pp

en

ing in

a m

ed

ium

tha

t do

esn

’t

req

uir

e h

ard

wo

rk” (facilitator). Prison staff

noted that, with the art, “th

e

colour is something that the boys w

ant to hold onto…So w

hen they are in the m

eeting room w

here they do their art (pink walls) and they w

ork with colours in

their art, they are reluctant to leave.”

The medium

is also active, and lends itself to working together, for exam

ple w

ith the music therapy: “it can be done together, there is an experience of

co

nn

ectio

n to

geth

er. T

here a

re s

o m

an

y th

ings th

at h

ap

pen

inh

eren

tly in

the

music that alm

ost takes the talking processing out of it” (facilitator). Because of the experiential nature of the process, YICW

TL are able to connect to mind-

fuln

ess, a

nd

“bring awareness to their m

ind and emotions and body – they are

connecting with it all” (facilitator).

“And bringing awareness from

mom

ent to mom

ent and as often as possible so that they can identify w

ith where they are

positioned instead of automatic, habitual responses that they

have been used to for so long – with lots of anger and not really

understanding conflict managem

ent and not being able to com

municate effectively” (facilitator)

“When I draw

I stop thinking bad things.” (YICWTL)

4.2.4.2 BEING FLEXIBLE AND EMERGENT

While there is a set of psychosocial goals w

hich implem

enting staff aim

s to achieve, and a rough guideline for the sessions, facilitators recognised that it is also im

portant to allow issues to em

erge and to address them as they

do (YiP implem

enting staff).

4.2.4.3 CREATING A SAFE SPACE

It is vital for the programm

e’s effectiveness that participants feel safe, that

they trust the process and those who are involved in the process, and that

they are able to be honest during the sessions. In addition to the fact that the physical space needs to be one that is separate from

the cells, facilita-tors noted the follow

ing important qualities for the sessions:

• N

on-judgemental stance w

ith no expectations of participants: “Let’s see w

hat happens and what w

e can create together. We are not there

to fix someone…

Other program

mes have an expectation of partici-

pants needing to be ‘better” (facilitator).•

Making YICW

TL feel that they belong and are accepted and are equal: “W

e cannot wait to go to the program

me because w

e feel so loved there. W

e did not want the program

me to end” (YICW

TL).•

Being witnessed by others: YICW

TL build a meaningful relationship

with them

selves by having an experience with art/m

usic and having it w

itnessed by others; it allows them

to engage and to experience them

selves differently: “standing in the front and having your story or

experience reflected back to you by the group” (facilitator).•

Experimental, experiential space: providing an opportunity and a safe

space to try things out around leadership, around comm

unication, around frustrations and stress, around com

municating feelings and

seeing how these w

ere responded to… “so the value lies in actualising

things differently and being exposed to new ideas and ideas that chal-

lenge old perceptions…using art to show

them that there are different

ways of thinking and seeing and that it isn’t all either w

rong or right. And

to respect that someone else’s w

ay of seeing something is equally valid.

That there are symbolic and visual w

ays of seeing things and that these can help and be relevant at different tim

es”.•

A place of encouragement: building resilience and boosting m

orale by encouraging boys to keep trying and affi

rming them

.

*Please note that these numbers have been provided by the program

me and have not been

verified

SA

targetSA

actual

Malaw

i target

Malaw

i actual

# participants805

953276

416

# workshops

660857

108420

# staff participants

180208

7599

# human rights

training for staff12

93

6

# social dialogues12

412

12

2726

Evan was born and grew

up in G

auteng. He is the

youngest of four children, w

ith three older sisters. H

is father passed away

when he w

as seven years old (a loss w

hich he was not able to really understand

until later in his life), and his home life w

as lonely with

no male figures. H

e could not relate to the wom

en in his household and felt that he had no one to talk to. Evan has alw

ays had a passion for fixing cars, possibly because his father had ow

ned a panel beating shop.

Evan was expelled from

school when he did not w

rite his exam

s. He began a repeat year of G

rade 9 at another school, but soon lost interest and dropped out of school. Being at hom

e all day, Evan was bored

and started experimenting w

ith drugs (crystal meth).

He soon lost interest in w

orking with cars. H

e was

still getting money from

his mother w

hen he started taking drugs, but w

hen his family realised he w

as using the m

oney for drugs they cut off this support.

To support his habit, Evan started stealing, and quickly got caught in the high and the chase – living like he w

as “in a movie”. H

e did not consider that he might

get caught. “I thought I could bring stolen money hom

e and it w

ould make up for the bad things I w

as doing, but it did not.”

As his drug addiction became m

ore serious, he be-gan stealing larger item

s. He began to rob in broad

daylight, not caring if anyone saw. H

owever, even

on drugs, he was not violent – the closest he cam

e to hurting his victim

was kicking a m

an who he saw

from

a distance counting notes while speaking on his

phone. As the man bent to tie his shoe, W

ade kicked him

and pulled out a knife on him, scaring the m

an into handing over everything he had.

“When I first cam

e to prison, I thought once you were

here, there was only one w

ay to be – and that was gang-

ste

r. In

ste

ad

, this

pla

ce s

ho

wed

me w

ha

t I wa

s la

ckin

g

(patience), what I still needed to learn.

It wa

s e

asy to

sig

n u

p fo

r th

e p

ro

gra

mm

e w

hen

it wa

s

introduced, but afterwards I w

as not sure because I knew

I ca

nn

ot d

ra

w. E

xp

ressin

g m

yself th

ro

ugh

pa

intin

g m

ad

e m

e feel better. Your heart and mind gets engaged – I

lose myself in it. Before the program

me I never cared

about others – I was self-centred and selfish. Through

the programm

e I have learnt to work w

ith others – this is im

portant because to be part of a comm

unity, to get along w

ith others – there are rules and regulations.

I learnt that the programm

e is not just about Art. – Self-co

ntr

ol is

imp

orta

nt. In

on

e o

f the s

essio

ns w

e h

ad

to

ask ourselves “Do you love yourself? “I thought I loved

myself but the question m

ade me realize that if I loved

myself I w

ould not be here – I would not have m

ade the w

ro

ng c

ho

ices I m

ad

e th

at la

nd

ed

me in

pris

on

.

Prison is hostile, everybody is watching them

selves, there is

no

co

mm

un

ica

tion

, no

on

e tr

usts

an

yo

ne, a

nd

it is

easy to get into a conflict. When w

e have a problem

with another, w

e do not solve it peacefully, often we are

influenced or pushed by our friends to get into fights. I rem

ember [another inm

ate] and I did not speak – we

had actually quarrelled over something trivial before.

Being in the programm

e is like being in a comm

unity – we

get along, we could be focused on our art, one person

will start hum

ming a song and the rest w

ill join in. I am

tha

nkfu

l to th

e a

rt th

era

pis

t, for ta

kin

g h

is tim

e a

nd

patience to teach me. Being in the program

me m

ade m

e fe

el lik

e a

perso

n, n

ot a

n in

ma

te.

When m

y mother visits m

e, I share my experiences, the

stuff I learn in the programm

e. She said to me as m

uch as she w

ants me back hom

e, I must not rush to get out,

maybe there is a reason w

hy God still w

ants me here.

Maybe there is still a lot I m

ust still learn.

My nam

e was called to the parole board before I joined

YIP – and although it went w

ell and a release date was

given, there were alw

ays obstacles, administrative issues

that seemed to be popping up. I rem

embered w

hat my

mother said about m

aybe there was still som

ething to learn before I am

released back to the comm

unity. Because of these delays on m

y release, I was able to

complete the program

me and be part of the graduation

before my release. Clearly it w

as God’s plan that I w

ait and com

plete this before my release.”

The facilitators note that Evan was very reserved w

hen he started on the program

me, and he had very low

self-esteem

and lacked confidence. He did not interact

with anyone. H

e even said to them that he did not

think he deserved to be on the programm

e and was

embarrased to show

his first work. The facilitators

encouraged him that the program

me w

as not about draw

ing, but a space to discover himself. As his confi-

dence increased, he began to try out on other forms

of material and w

anted to stay longer during sessions. H

is relationship with other participants im

proved, he now

has close friends and he interacts with them

very w

ell. They were proud of Evan’s insight and m

ature attitude, for exam

ple his profound explanation for his release date being delayed: that he w

as not done learning w

hat he needed to learn before he left prison. W

hen asked about his best artwork, Evan selected

a piece which he noted w

as not the best art he had done, but that w

as special because it was done w

hen he w

as in a very good place emotionally and feeling

positive about himself.

EVAN JOHANNESBURG PRISON

4.2.4.4 WORKING CLOSELY AND SENSITIVELY W

ITH THE PRISONS

In both Malaw

i and South Africa, close relationships and trust have had to be carefully developed w

ith prison staff. Firstly, program

me staff

have had to ensure that prison staff

do not feel threatened in any way. In both countries, the use of any language relating to

CIDTP has led to suspicion and a risk of the program

me not being allow

ed to be run in the prisons. In M

alawi, the program

me is called the “H

uman Rights Project” to avoid any threat.

In Malaw

i, staff and partners explained that they are alw

ays careful to show support and

empathy for the w

arders during warder training, and to listen to their challenges. D

espite this, at one of the prisons in M

alawi, an offi

cer in charge became angry w

hen the project w

as introduced and whipped the participating boys in response. H

e is reported to have becom

e more supportive since that tim

e. (MCM

staff)

It is also helpful to plan activities well in advance (e.g. graduation events) and to com

-m

unicate with the prison staff

regularly. Facilitators need to be resilient because prison rules, procedures and regulation, and unpredictability can be frustrating; yet, relationships w

ith the staff m

ust be maintained because having supportive staff

at the prison is a key enabling factor for im

plementation. “W

e show up every tim

e on time, not know

ing if a session w

ill take place or not” (facilitator).

4.2.4.5 USING VERNACULAR LANGUAGE WHERE POSSIBLE

While it is not vital, it is preferable if the sessions are conducted in the YICW

TL’s own

language/s.

4.2.5 KEY IMPLEM

ENTATION CHALLENGES

In both Malaw

i and South Africa, working w

ith the prisons’ schedules and regulations is the m

ost challenging aspect. The sessions have to be adapted to fit into what each of the

prisons will allow

. This presents a challenge with regards to ensuring any consistency in

terms of dosage, or even to build a curriculum

that can be compared. In addition, there

are sometim

es prison activities that have to take place during planned sessions, and som

etimes m

aterials are not able to be accessed due to locked rooms and prison staff

not being available. The venue for the sessions can also be a problem

, for example in one

prison the space was freezing cold and not conducive to w

orking in for a few hours, and

in other prisons the sessions sometim

es get moved to a boardroom

type setting which is

not suitable for art and music w

ork, and that has “traffic of people m

oving in and out, and therefore creating a barrier to the safe container w

e want to create” (facilitator).

Ideally, this kind of a programm

e would be a longer-term

intervention so that the attitude and behaviour shifts can be entrenched. At the least, it w

ould be good if there was som

e ongoing activity post-program

me so that the benefits could be sustained.

In some prisons, there are language barriers betw

een the facilitator and the YICWTL, w

hich lim

its the ability of the YICWTL to gain m

aximum

learning. In one prison, a high proportion of YICW

TL had some intellectual challenges (possibly due to Foetal Alcohol Syndrom

e) w

hich limited their capacity to understand the content, and to be in a session and concen-

trate for three hours (facilitator).

In South Africa, there are comm

unication and project managem

ent challenges which

need attention. Project staff need to be better integrated into the project cycle and m

ore m

onitoring and contact amongst the team

is necessary.

2928

4.3 OUTCOM

ES AND IMPACT

4.3.1 FOR YICWTL

4.3.1.1 SHORT TERM OUTCOM

ES

The programm

es in both Malaw

i and South Africa have had reported outcom

es in the following areas:

• U

nderstanding of own rights and rights of others

• Im

proved self-esteem and self-aw

areness and connection with

emotions

• Ability to trust others

• Ability to express oneself

• Better com

munication and conflict m

anagement skills

• H

igher levels of empathy.

◊UNDERSTANDINGOFHUMANRIGHTS

YICWTL in M

alawi reported that they have learned about their rights and

the rights of others, and “tha

t I mu

st n

ot in

frin

ge o

n th

e r

igh

ts o

f oth

ers”

(YICWTL). They realise that they have rights, even if they are prisoners (for

example, the right to food and w

ater, and to their religion).

◊SELF-ESTEEM,SELF-AWARENESSANDCONNECTIONWITHEMOTIONS

YICWTL have been able to connect w

ith their emotions and them

selves because of the program

me. “The program

me has offered them

a positive space to discover and acknow

ledge their positives – they also learnt and saw

that the negatives in their lives does not make them

bad people” (facilitator). Prison staff

and facilitators and the YICWTL them

selves noted that they have gained confidence.

“I have always been very quiet, kept to m

yself, I let people walk

over me and did not speak for m

yself. I instead would harbour

negative and hostile feelings about the person, wish them

ill. I s

tru

ggle

d w

ith m

y e

mo

tion

s, a

nd

wo

uld

take m

y a

nger o

ut

on others. In the programm

e, I learnt that every action has a reaction, and one has to learn to stop and think before they

react.” (YICWTL)

“I learnt self-love and self-trust. To have silent time w

ith yourself. To think – about w

here in life I’ve gone wrong.”

Facilitators explained how they have w

itnessed the YICWTL start to “c

rea

te

a new perception of them

selves, not just identify as a criminal.” By finding a

talent that they did not know existed (e.g. being able to draw

, or writing a

song), they have started to realise that there is more to them

. When they

are given the opportunity to give attention and energy to these positive realisations, this starts to shift the w

ay they think about themselves.

“The programm

e has given me tim

e to know m

yself more. This

has changed my experience”. (YICW

TL)

“In one of the sessions we had to ask ourselves “D

o you love yourself? “I thought I loved m

yself but the question makes m

e realise that if I loved m

yself I would not be here –I w

ould not have m

ade the wrong choices I m

ade that landed me in prison.”

(YICWTL)

Warders related how

proud the youth are of their art works and w

orkbooks, and how

excited they are to show these to their fam

ilies during the pro-gram

me’ graduation cerem

ony.

◊ABILITYTOTRUSTOTHERS

YICWTL in South Africa w

ere very grateful for the facilitators’ respect and care for them

. They noted that, before the programm

e, they felt that they had no one to talk to, no one to share problem

s with. They reported that

they now not only have the facilitators to speak to, but also their fellow

participants – as they have built a great deal of trust am

ongst themselves.

This outcome w

as reported by YICWTL, facilitators and prison staff

, and was

also witnessed during the evaluation focus groups during w

hich the YICWTL

spoke openly and honestly about their lives and their feelings in front of one another.

◊ABILITYTOEXPRESSONESELF

YICWTL reported that they have learnt to express

their feelings using art and music, and are now

able to com

municate and share these feelings w

ith others. The prison staff

and facilitators have also seen this change in the YICW

TL.

“But now they are learning that it’s not just

for fun – they can also gain something out of it

an

d u

se it fo

r its

hea

ling c

ap

acity

. Th

ey k

no

w

tha

t mu

sic

ca

n h

ea

l an

d m

ake c

ha

nge. M

usic

and art are very therapeutic. Through the art and pictures – they are able to analyse how

they feel and telling a lot about them

selves” (correctional offi

cer).

“I no

w ta

ke m

y a

nger o

ut o

n p

en

an

d p

ap

er. I

write poetry, and draw

.” (YICWTL)

One facilitator explained how

she has seen the YICWTL use the process of

making art or m

usic to connect to their emotions, “com

e to their self-identity”. Because they are in a safe space, they can then take risks to “be seen…

to bring feelings to w

ords and start to separate internal processes and make them

external and for others to w

itness that and to be re-integrated”.

During the evaluation

focus group, one boy shared his favourite draw

ing – of himself w

ith his father dying on his lap.

“I was a very quiet boy till m

y fa

ther d

ied

wh

en

I wa

s 1

1.

He d

ied

in m

y a

rm

s, th

ey h

ad

been drinking and he was

stabbed to death while they

were fighting.”

3130

The programm

e also allows YICW

TL to realise that their life experiences are valuable and im

portant. Many have com

e from backgrounds w

here “they have been m

inimised or disregarded and so by allow

ing their pers onal truths to exist in a space I think they could take them

selves more seriously and acknow

l-edge that it is ok not to feel ok about som

ething and feel the need to speak up” (facilitator).

◊BETTERCOMMUNICATIONANDCONFLICTMANAGEMENTSKILLS

The music facilitator related how

disconnected YICWTL w

ere initially, they could not even share a beat w

hen they started drumm

ing. But they now

support other people’s ideas in a group and take advice from others, and

they listen to each other:

“Comm

unication is important because som

etimes m

y ideas are not the best. So I m

ust learn from other people” (YICW

TL)

“I have always been good at leading but I have learnt that

sometim

es it is good to be a follower, to take other people’s

opinions, because at times they have better ideas” (YICW

TL)

“Before I was a law

unto myself” (YICW

TL).

◊EMPATHY

Levels of empathy have grow

n amongst the YICW

TL, even in mem

bers from

different gangs:

“Before the programm

e, I did not have friends because we w

ere from

different camps (gangs), but w

e learnt how to respect each

other and respect the chief (warder)” (YICW

TL)

We have learnt to bond, and are able to reprim

and each other w

hen we are out of line – because w

e believe what one does

reflects on all of us”. (YICWTL)

“We also share w

hat we have because som

e of us do not have fam

ily that brings them stuff; “W

e have learnt to understand each other – w

hen one is not in a good space, we accom

modate

them and if w

e can we com

fort them”. (YICW

TL)

Empathy is very im

portant as it helps the YICWTL to understand w

hat being on the receiving end of their crim

es is like, and will hopefully help to

discourage them from

perpetrating again.

4.3.1.2 MEDIUM

TERM OUTCOM

ES

The shorter term outcom

es and changes in attitude described above have been show

n to result in behaviour change for YICWTL in both countries, in

Peter completed his schooling in 2008. In that sam

e year his mother died.

He found a job as a security guard to try and earn a living, but soon fell prey

to peer pressure and joined some “bad groups”. Peter started stealing w

hile he w

as working as a security guard. H

e was caught stealing a laptop, and

sent to prison where he stayed for 10 m

onths.

“Th

e p

ris

on

wa

s s

o c

on

geste

d, w

e w

ou

ld s

tay 1

5 p

eo

ple

in a

cell th

e s

ize o

f a

small car. W

e would sleep sitting up, leaning on the back of the friend in front

of us. The guards would beat us. O

nce we w

ere all beaten because one prisoner esca

ped

, yet w

e d

idn

’t kn

ow

an

yth

ing. W

e a

ll were m

ad

e to

lie d

ow

n o

n o

ur

sto

ma

ch

s w

ith o

ur a

rm

s s

tretc

hed

ou

t in fr

on

t of u

s, a

nd

the g

ua

rd

s s

tam

ped

on our hands with their boots. They also insulted and m

ocked us, saying that w

e chose to be in prison, it wasn’t their fault w

e were there and that they can’t

treat us as people. They are supposed to ill-treat us. I felt bad. But while I w

as in prison I m

et Music Crossroads, w

hich helped me to learn m

ore about music.

Music Crossroads inspired m

e through music, because w

hen I was in prison, I

actually thought I was going to die and never get out of prison.

No

w th

at I a

m o

ut o

f pris

on

, I sin

g a

nd

co

mp

ose m

usic

, an

d I k

no

w th

at m

y life

will be brighter. I also sang a song w

ith (a popular local musician). They have

pla

yed

the s

on

g o

n th

e r

ad

io a

nd

on

TV

. My w

ish

for th

e fu

ture is

a w

ife, m

y o

wn

ho

use, a

nd

my o

wn

ca

r s

o it c

an

ma

ke m

on

ey fo

r m

e. A

nd

my o

wn

orga

nis

atio

ns

for young people who just got released from

prison and who have now

here to go, and are rejected by the com

munity. W

e call it “vagabonding”. They vagabond around tow

n, and they steal to survive. I want to help them

to have a better life. M

y organisation will be called O

OPS (O

ut of Prison Services). Now

I live in a rented house; I have a girlfriend w

ho is in school in [another town], w

e have know

n each other for a long time. So I am

on track.”

PETERM

ALAWI PRISON (1)

3332

terms of them

being able to cope better with stress and has im

proved their pro-social interactions w

ith others.

In addition, it has an effect on how

YICWTL view

themselves in the long

term, and their post-release perceptions and expectations: they have found

hope for their futures, and they desire to be positive role models for others.

◊COPINGBETTERWITHSTRESSANDIMPROVEDPROSOCIALINTERACTIONSWITHOTHERS

“Th

e o

ther d

ay o

ne o

f the g

uys c

am

e in

an

d h

e w

as lim

pin

g

and it turned out that he’d been hit with a belt-buckle by one

of h

is c

ellm

ate

s. A

nd

on

e o

f the g

uys w

ho

is a

lso

in th

e g

ro

up

an

d s

ha

res th

e s

am

e c

ell a

ctu

ally

pro

tecte

d h

im. H

e h

elp

ed

to

contain this guy to prevent him from

hurting anyone. And they did som

e breathing together and then this guy just went aw

ay and sulked by him

self. But it could have turned into a massive

cell-fight. So it’s big to hear that feedback about how they w

ere handling the conflict differently. And taking on the possibility of

doing things differently.”

Improvem

ents in behaviour in both countries include:

• N

o longer stealing and bullying•

Dealing w

ith conflict better, less aggression, fighting and violence: “I have learnt to live peacefully w

ith my friends” (YICW

TL); “It gets them

out of that gang mind-set…

we actually see the im

pact of this programm

e in the stats. There has been a decrease in assaults, and a decrease in in

cid

en

ts o

f so

do

my, a

s a

resu

lt of th

ese p

ro

gra

mm

es” (w

arder).•

Apologising to those whom

they have wronged

• Better anger m

anagement and better im

pulse control, “self-control”•

More patience

• H

elping others in the prison•

More respectful to each other and w

arders (including using better language), w

hich the YICWTL and w

arders relate has helped to im

prove the relationship between them

: “I ca

me in

to p

ris

on

with

an

attitude towards the w

arders. I blamed the w

arders for prohibiting my

freed

om

. MC

M h

elp

ed

me to

ch

an

ge th

at p

ercep

tion

, wh

ich

ma

de m

e e

arn

resp

ect fr

om

the w

ard

ers.”

• Ability to share and w

ork together: “At some point, w

e gave them

homew

ork – to continue doing in their cells for a week. W

e gave them

one box of crayons to share. Through this they were able to share,

without conflict and w

ork together to complete their individual art

pieces.”•

Making new

friends and forming bonds: “I feel like I have a new

family

in p

ris

on

no

w” (YICW

TL).

An interesting and important finding is that the program

me has m

anaged to shift interactions even betw

een mem

bers of different gangs, w

hich was a

big source of prison violence:

“Here in

pris

on

yo

u m

eet y

ou

r e

nem

ies fr

om

ou

tsid

e. I h

ad

a

grudge towards them

. Here I’m

sitting with [nam

e omitted] from

and [nam

e omitted], from

three different gangs, we could never

have sat together and spoke like this before. Now

we see each

other as human beings. I started to express m

y feelings through painting and talking. I also learnt about respecting the next

person’s boundaries. Respect what the next person is feeling, as

you would w

ant to be respected.” (YICWTL)

Participants encourage new YICW

TL to join the programm

e so that they can begin to relate to them

better: “Also if there is a new offender w

ho hasn’t been part of the program

me – they com

e and say that this one needs to come to the

programm

e – so they identify prisoners who could benefit from

being part of the program

me. They realise that their learnings have even m

ore of an impact if

oth

ers a

lso

are o

n th

e p

ro

gra

mm

e” (prison staff

).

Some prisoners have found that their relationships w

ith their families have

also improved due to their changes in attitude and w

hen they reveal their artistic w

ork. “Wh

en

we p

erfo

rm

ed

the s

on

g w

e h

ad

co

mp

osed

as in

ma

tes to

ou

r fa

milie

s, it fe

lt go

od

to s

ee h

ow

pro

ud

my fa

mily

wa

s o

f me” (YICW

TL). A w

arder relayed that some prisoners w

ho never received visits from fam

ilies now

do: “I have received reports from fam

ilies on how they have forgiven and

reconnected with their children because of the change they see in them

.”

◊HOPEFORTHEFUTURE

“Th

e m

om

en

t tha

t stic

ks in

my m

ind

as a

turn

ing p

oin

t is th

e

one day we played this gam

e called the Hyena and the G

oat. O

ne person stands on one side and is the hyena, another person is

the g

oa

t. Th

e h

yen

a h

as to

try to

ca

tch

the g

oa

t. All th

e o

ther

people have to try whatever they can to protect the goat and to

sto

p th

e h

yen

a fr

om

killin

g it. I r

ea

lised

tha

t I ca

n a

ctu

ally

do

so

meth

ing im

po

rta

nt w

ith m

y life

, an

d p

ro

tect th

ose th

at c

an

’t

protect themselves.” (YICW

TL)

Some have enrolled in school since they joined the program

me so that they

can further themselves and have a better chance at an honest life w

hen they are released. M

any mentioned that they w

anted to be “a better person”, better children to their parents, and better parents to their children. They felt that the skills they had learnt from

the programm

e would help them

to behave diff

erently on the outside, and not make the sam

e mistakes again.

“This is the first time I w

as arrested. When I got here I thought

my life is over. But w

ith the programm

e I started to feel like I could dream

again. Hope for the future. The biggest lesson has

been that coming here is not the end of life.” (YICW

TL)

A warder related how

one of the ex-participants of the programm

e has gone on to do Art at tertiary level even though he does not have a m

atricu-lation pass. “H

e actually cried when he got his first bank card” (prison w

arder).

3534

◊DESIRETOBEAPOSITIVEROLEMODEL

In addition to having a better life for themselves, m

any of the YICWTL in

both countries have a strong desire to become positive role m

odels for those around them

– their children, their family, their peers, their com

muni-

ties and even other YICWTL.

“Now

I encourage other people, like my little brother. I used to

en

co

ura

ge th

em

to d

o w

ro

ng th

ings, n

ow

I en

co

ura

ge th

em

to d

o

the r

igh

t thin

gs.”

“I want to break the pattern that because ‘your father spent tim

e in prison, then you m

ust also spend time in prison to prove your-

self’. I want to teach m

y children differently, when I talk to m

y children about and discourage them

from crim

e, drugs, prison it w

ill be from experience. I have alw

ays been a stubborn bossy person, but I have becom

e the softest person here, it got me

thinking – so what’s to stop m

e from being this cheerful person

on the outside?”

“I want to help others not to m

ake the same bad choices that I

did

.”

“Some m

embers of m

y family have been in prison and I w

ant th

is to

sto

p w

ith m

e. A

nd

als

o to

do

it for fu

ture g

en

era

tion

s. I

want m

y children to look at me and say that’s m

y father – he w

ent to prison and has learnt from it and is a better person.”

4.3.2 OUTCOMES FOR W

ARDERS AND THE PRISON POLICIES AND SYSTEMS

4.3.2.1 UNDERSTANDING OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND EM

PATHY

In Malaw

i, where w

arders have been given Hum

an Rights training, the w

arders report that gaining knowledge about hum

an rights changed their perception about YICW

TL, and has led to a great change in perception of w

arders towards YICW

TL: “We realised that they (inm

ates) are people, they are hum

an beings. We learnt new

things. We w

elcomed it.” They report that they

have changed the way they treat YICW

TL (i.e. less inhumane behaviour)

because of this shift in their perception. This has improved relationships

between w

arders and YICWTL.

“By treating someone like a hum

an you are combating the

inhumanity. Treating som

eone like they matter” (facilitator).

In Malaw

i, the warders reported that they get frustrated w

ith rude YICWTL,

but that their relationships with YICW

TL had improved since the training: “I

must adm

it I did have a negative attitude before. Now

I realise the inmates are

very young, they need to learn.” (Malaw

i warder)

3736

◊BETTERPRISONPOLICIESANDSYSTEMS

In Malaw

i, the prisons introduced their own paralegal offi

cers to give legal and hum

an rights advice to both the prisoners and the warders. Legal clin-

ics are now held w

ith YICWTL. Although this is a step in the right direction,

it is difficult for paralegals em

ployed by the prison to perform a w

atchdog function on them

selves. Ideally this function should be performed by an

independent external authority. There are also informal reports about inci-

dents which are taken up by legal aid partners, but this is not system

atised.

In Malaw

i, the advocacy efforts by M

CM have resulted in a parliam

entary com

mittee conducting an inspection to one of the prisons to address the

human rights violations reported in a baseline study.

4.3.2.2 IMPACT/LONG-TERM

OUTCOMES

◊REDUCTIONINRECIDIVISM

Although this is not a stated goal for the EU grant, this is a key aim

for pris-on staff

, implem

enting partners and for YICWTL them

selves. A social worker

in the prison noted that recidivism is very high, and that m

ost YICWTL in

prison are re-offenders:

“Sometim

es 8, 9, 10 times re-offenders. The system

is failing us. Inm

ate’s physical needs are not being attended to. What m

ust they do w

hen they get out of prison? They have children and fam

ilies to feed. I don’t know w

hat’s happening here in South Africa…

when you are part of a gang, you are never allow

ed to leave. So w

hen you are released you are expected to go back to being a gang m

ember. It’s a gang m

entality: ‘Once a m

ember,

always a m

ember.’”

The programm

e has the potential to contribute to this outcome:

“I thin

k if s

om

eo

ne h

as h

ad

tha

t go

od

exp

erie

nce o

f co

nn

ectio

n

then

it’s q

uite

na

tura

l to s

eek th

ose m

om

en

ts a

ga

in. Y

ou

kn

ow

what it is like to respect som

eone else and you are probably m

ore lik

ely

to w

an

t to e

nga

ge in

exp

erie

nces lik

e th

at a

ga

in. I

know the guys are careful about w

ho they keep company w

ith. M

aking sure they are spending time w

ith people who also have a

dream for them

selves, seeking out relationships that are health-ier. It has the knock-on effect of seeking healthier relationships

that aren’t so destructive.” (Facilitator)

Post-release programm

es, such as those offered by YiP, are im

portant to allow

the programm

e outcomes to be sustained outside the prison.

4.3.3 REDUCTION IN CIDTP

Due to the lim

itations with adm

inistering the survey, only anecdotal evidence exists w

ith regard to whether CID

TP has been reduced. The evaluation found that the participants them

selves treat each other better, w

hich will result in som

e reduction in CIDTP. W

hen prison staff are trained,

they are less likely to treat YICWTL badly. Though YICW

TL and facilitators still report CID

TP taking place, there are some reports of better treatm

ent, w

hich is encouraging (mostly from

Malaw

i):

“The severe beatings from the w

arders stopped. We have better

access to food now. W

e used to be only given food once a day. W

e work in the fields and w

e harvest the food and cook the food for ourselves and the w

arders. We decided as a group that w

e needed m

ore food. We approached the offi

cer, and asked if we

could use some of the food w

e harvest to make food for us to

eat. They agreed. So now w

e eat twice per day.” (M

alawi YICW

TL)

“Some tim

e back the guards used to beat us to make us w

ork faster, but since M

CM cam

e, they are no longer beating us for that.” (M

alawi YICW

TL)

“There are no more beatings or bad treatm

ent in the prison since the training. Before there w

ere beatings or chainings, especially if an inm

ate tried to escape. (MCM

staff)

“When w

e did something w

rong, we w

ould be forced to sit down

and bow our heads “to think about w

hat we have done w

rong”. W

hile we sat, the guards w

ould whip us on our backs. It is better

now.” (M

alawi YICW

TL).

3938

James is an 18 year old boy

from the Cape Flats in Cape

Town, South Africa. H

e has been in prison since the age

of 16, and is serving out his 19 year sentence for m

urder in a Maxim

um Security prison.

James and his younger brother, w

ho is now 13 years

old, were raised by his grandparents. H

e has another brother and tw

o sisters, but they did not live with him

. H

is mother and father never lived together. H

is father has been in jail since Jam

es was in G

rade 3, serving a 28 year sentence. Jam

es and his father wrote som

e letters to each other, but they have never really had a relationship. H

is mother, w

ho lived in an informal

settlement, died tw

o weeks prior to the interview

.

James reports that his grandfather w

as often drunk, and sm

oked marijuana regularly. H

e says he was a

quiet child. His grandm

other took him to church and

Sunday school. He enjoyed singing and w

as a worship

singer in his church. When Jam

es was younger his

dream w

as to be a detective. His grandm

other also had dream

s for him, and he reports that she tells

him that she still does w

hen she visits him.

His grandparents discouraged him

from playing out-

side, because the neighbourhood was gang-infested,

and they didn’t want him

falling into bad company.

He started sm

oking cigarettes at school, and would

carry breath freshener in his bag to hide the smell

when he got hom

e. Then he started smoking dagga

(marijuana), okka pipe, and getting drunk. H

is grand-father used to shout at him

about his behaviour, but he w

as rebellious and did not want anyone telling

him w

hat to do.

When Jam

es was in G

rade 8, he joined a small gang.

He and his friends started shoplifting. They w

ould steal things like iPods, but also “dog stuff

” like dog sham

poo and dog accessories, and sell this to the Rastafarians, w

ho have lots of dogs. They would use

the money to buy drugs and have parties, to w

hich they invited girls.

One day, gangsters from

a big local gang gave him a

gun, and they told him to take it to school to give to

another boy. He did this, but that boy w

as arrested, and the gun w

as confiscated. The gangsters blamed

James and told him

they would kill him

unless he replaced the gun, or he could join the gang and w

ork for them

. He didn’t have m

oney to buy another gun, so he joined the gang. The gangsters took him

to a field to test his shooting ability and w

hen they found that he could shoot, they sent him

on paid jobs. With

the money, Jam

es purchased nice material things

and his status improved. H

e was enjoying it. H

e felt accepted. H

e got respect.

The jobs involved shooting people, and he couldn’t do this sober. So he started using drugs, m

ainly buttons (m

andrax), tik (a cheap and impure m

etampetam

ine) and ecstacy. As he becam

e better known in his gang-

ster role, he became a target for other gangs. O

nce, he w

as sitting with four friends, and gangsters from

a rival gang started shooting at him

. He escaped, but

his friends were injured.

His fam

ily threw him

out of the house. He w

ent to live w

ith the head gangster from the gang he belonged

to. He started dealing drugs.

The gangsters then told him to kill his uncle, his

father’s brother, who w

as in a rival gang. He m

et his uncle on N

ew Year’s Eve. H

is uncle also had a gun. W

hen they spoke, his uncle told him that he could

not shoot James, as he w

as his brother’s child. His

uncle turned and walked aw

ay and James shot and

killed him.

After this killing, James had to go into hiding. H

e heard that there w

as a rumour circulating that he

was a double agent, and w

as feeding information to

a rival gang. On a m

ission to shoot someone w

ith one of his fellow

gang mem

bers, a girl who lived

in the target’s house told him that he w

as actually being set up, and that his fellow

gang mem

ber was

going to shoot him. So he w

ent on the mission, but

he shot the other gang mem

ber first.

James spoke about w

hy he did these things. He

reflected that he was m

otivated by reputation: “Yo

u’ll

do anything for reputation. You knows it’s w

rong. But you w

ant people to talk about you and look up to you. G

angsters have power. W

hen you carry a gun, you have p

ow

er”. Jam

es acknowledges that this w

as motivat-

ing because he didn’t get any respect when he w

as younger. Adults alw

ays told him that he w

as wrong,

even when he w

asn’t. He relates how

they said, “D

o as I say, don’t do as I do”. His grandm

other and grandfather did m

any things which w

ere ‘wrong’, but

they used the fact that they were older and in charge

to suppress his desires and choices. He relates that

he felt that he never had a say, they never listened to him

, and that he would never share a problem

with

them because he w

as scared of how they w

ould react.

After he evaded the hit on himself, he w

ent to the inform

al settlement w

here his mother stayed, and

joined the local gang in that area. He lived w

ith and supported his drug addict m

other for a year. He

was then asked to go and kill the leader of the other

JAMES

CAPE TOWN

major gang in the area. The leader w

as a “king pin” w

ho owned shebeens and taxis. H

e felt like a hero to be chosen to kill her because everyone else w

as too scared of her. H

e killed her at a party. Afterwards

he went to a drug house to sm

oke buttons, and w

as arrested there about three hours later after som

eone tipped off the police. Jam

es was 16 years

old at the time.

After his arrest, the rival gang shot his mother as

revenge. She was badly injured and died due to

complications from

those injuries. James has had no

one to talk to about his loss. He related how

terrible he felt about losing her, “even if she w

as not a good m

oth

er, s

he w

as m

y m

oth

er”.

James’ take on prison is that you need to join one

of the Num

bers gangs1 if you w

ant to survive in prison. W

hen he arrived in prison, his reputation preceded him

and he was a bit of a hero to the

other prisoners. There were lots of people w

ho knew

about him and w

hat he had done. The gang w

ith the most pow

er in prison wanted to recruit

him. H

is reputation has also helped him to receive

privileges from the other prisoners, for exam

ple sm

oking the smuggled cigarettes first, and people

agreeing with him

regardless of whether or not he

is correct. The guards in the prison keep the gang m

embers separate from

the other inmates – in a

separate room and even exercising separately. Jam

es used to take drugs in prison (they are fairly readily available), and his m

other used to sumggle them

in for him

. How

ever, he went through the prison drug

rehabilitation programm

e and is now clean.

“I came out of a background w

here everything is violence. There’s peer pressure. I just w

anted to be “seen” amongst

peo

ple

, I wa

s s

tayin

g w

ith th

e g

an

gste

rs. I d

idn

’t wo

rry

about other people, I just worried about m

yself, as long a

s I’m

ha

pp

y, I w

as th

e o

nly

on

e th

at m

atte

red

.

Here I le

arn

t so

mu

ch

. Th

ere’s

so

ma

ny th

ings. I le

arn

t

to respect others. I learnt self-love and self-trust. To solve problem

s without violence, to have silent tim

e with

yourself. To think – about where in life I’ve gone w

rong.

Now

I encourage other people, like my little brother.

I used

to e

nco

ura

ge th

em

to d

o w

ro

ng th

ings, n

ow

I

en

co

ura

ge th

em

to d

o th

e r

igh

t thin

gs. I d

on

’t wa

nt to

have that grudge. Before, if I saw people I w

as fighting w

ith outside, I would have a grudge w

hen I saw them

h

ere.

With [the facilitator], it doesn’t m

atter what I tell her,

1 O

ne of South A

frica’s most prom

inent gangs

sh

e r

esp

ects

it. Here th

ere’s

no

on

e to

talk

to. If y

ou

have a problem you have to keep it to yourself. I w

ould even tell her m

y dream. W

ith her I didn’t have to worry

about confidentiality. I couldn’t wait for next W

ednesday. O

utside I don’t have someone to talk to about m

y private stuff – not even m

y mother. There’s som

eone who cares

about me. She’s like a m

other. Because of that, there’s still hope for you. [The facilitator] understood m

e better than anyone ever had. I had never had that experience o

f so

meo

ne lis

ten

ing to

me a

nd

feelin

g w

ha

t I’m fe

elin

g

before. When I cried, she cried. W

hen I laughed, she la

ugh

ed

. I co

uld

sh

are a

nyth

ing w

ith h

er. I d

idn

’t need

to be scared that she would reject m

e.

And the group helped me to be friends w

ith the rival gangs. In here w

e are friends, because we have no

choice, we have to live together. But out there w

e will

still be enemies. If w

e get out of here we w

ill still fight ea

ch

oth

er.”

Though the Inside Out program

me has helped Jam

es w

ith his anger, he feels that it rears up now and then,

especially when he thinks about the rival gang killing

his mother. H

e manages to control it by rem

inding him

self that being angry is of no benefit and that he has to deal w

ith his real emotions.

James is grateful that his fam

ily have begun to accept him

recently, athough he does not feel safe enough to be honest w

ith them about all the things he has done.

James recently feels like he relates to the story of the

prodigal son in the Bible (which he has started to read

in prison). He plans to continue his schooling next

year, and then eventually get his matric. H

e believes he w

ill have more options w

hen he is transferred to the M

edium Security Prison in tw

o year’s time. H

e w

ants to join a band.

James’ m

ottos are: “Wh

en

da

ys a

re d

ark, fr

ien

ds a

re

few

”, which he has experienced firsthand since

being left alone in prison by all his so-called friends on the outside, and “th

e c

ho

ice y

ou

ma

ke to

da

y w

ill

dete

rm

ine w

here y

ou

go

tom

orro

w”. Jam

es wants to

have children one day, and feels that he would do

anything to prevent them from

going through what

he went through, and becom

ing what he becam

e. He

would help his children to avoid the gangs that are all

around by allowing them

to speak and be listened to, being accepted and respected, not being criticised. H

e believes adults need to set a good example,

not saying one thing and doing another. James has

another 17 years to serve in prison.

4140

5. RECOMM

ENDATIONS

5.1 M

ORE STRUCTURED ENGAGEMENT W

ITH THE PRISON STAFF

To reach impact w

ith this project, it is vital to engage prison staff, and as

many as possible. To counteract the current challenges of prison staff

not being available to participate in training w

orkshops during normal w

orking hours, it is suggested that project staff

engage with the prison training

centres to institutionalise their content. By designing the programm

e within

the prison’s own training schedules, the project could reach all staff

, and w

ould assist with stream

lining logistics. A programm

e training manual has

already been developed by Malaw

i, which should be used in roll-out. It is

recomm

ended that prison staff participants receive som

e certification after the course.

Similar life skills content and perhaps m

ethodology could be employed w

ith prison staff

training, as staff m

entioned that the 2014 training that they received w

as highly effective:

“…that addresses personal needs. W

here we are able to express

selves as well and reduce our stress. That sort of training is

needed more. It’s very im

portant to have a calm m

ind and be collected. W

e are working w

ith children. It helped us to be better able to find ourselves and get an understanding of how

yo

un

gste

rs’ m

ind

s w

orks. T

he tr

ain

ing w

as h

elp

ful in

ha

nd

ling

an

d c

om

mu

nic

atin

g w

ith th

em

”

Prison staff involvem

ent will assist them

to know w

hat happens at the sessions, and w

hat is being taught so that they can better monitor the

YICWTL outside the sessions…

“kn

ow

wh

at to

exp

ect a

nd

ho

w to

su

pp

ort th

em

.

Warders hope to have an open session w

here prison staff that are interested w

ould be welcom

e. This will still keep the other sessions safe and contained for

the p

artic

ipa

nts

.” (facilitator).

5.2 FURTHER POST-RELEASE SUPPORT FOR YICW

TL PARTICIPANTS

5.2.1 VOCATIONAL SKILLS

The Malaw

i team noted that the 12 w

eek programm

e that they run to equip YICW

TL with skills that can enable them

to find a job is not long enough. Participants and w

arders in both countries felt that this was im

portant for post-release and reducing recidivism

: “… And often w

hen they can’t find em

ployment they resort back to crim

e.” (SA warder).

5.2.2 LINKAGE TO ART AND MUSIC OPPORTUNITIES

Some participants found a great passion for m

usic and art through the program

me, and it w

ould be good for the project to develop a referral list so that the young m

en could continue to pursue these constructive activi-ties once they are released.

5.2.3 PARTNERSHIP WITH A SAFE HOUSE FOR POST-RELEASE

Many of the participants do not have a safe place w

here they could go once they are released from

prison. This was an issue that w

as identified by all stakeholder groups. It is recom

mended that the project identify and m

ake further links w

ith any state- or NG

O- run safe houses in M

alawi and South

Africa that could absorb project alumni if they are in need.

5.3 PROJECT M

ANAGEMENT AND IM

PLEMENTATION

5.3.1 PROJECT IMPLEM

ENTATION WITHIN PRISONS

Aside from continuous attem

pts to work on clear com

munication and

logistics with the prison, the follow

ing should be arranged if possible:

• For the best program

me eff

ect, groups should not include more than

10-12 participants, and the staff in M

alawi m

ay need to renegotiate w

ith the prisons to ensure this.•

Vocational training programm

es in South Africa should be extended to better equip the participants w

ith adequate skills to find a job post-release.

• The program

me is not being im

plemented consistently across sites

and it would benefit from

this. This would require m

ore coordination betw

een all implem

enters across the sites.•

There should be a plan with the prisons for a w

ay to sustain pro-gram

me activities after the offi

cial sessions are over (for example,

drumm

ing groups that run regularly throughout the year, or time

being set aside where prisoners can m

ake art on an ongoing basis, or just having m

aterials available that can be shared).•

YiP could advocate for a policy change so that “the family group” can

become offi

cial: “it would be great if fellow

inmates w

ho also did the program

me are allow

ed to come and visit us as fam

ily after they go out [ie after they have been released] because som

e of us have lost touch with

ou

r fa

milie

s a

nd

we a

re n

ot fr

om

aro

un

d h

ere.” (SA YICW

TL)•

During program

me participant selection, attem

pts to saturate a cell/unit – ie m

ake sure that every YICWTL in that cell participates on the

programm

e, so that “eventually more and m

ore inmates w

ill know and

un

dersta

nd

co

mp

assio

n a

nd

mu

tua

l resp

ect a

nd

I thin

k th

at w

ill help

with

the w

ay th

ey d

ea

l with

an

d tr

ea

t ea

ch

oth

er” (facilitator).

4342

5.3.2 REFINE THE YIP SA IMPLEM

ENTATION MODEL AND PROCESSES

YiP SA should employ a w

ell qualified project manager (m

ay not need to be fulltim

e) who w

ill coordinate the ‘Inside Out’ program

me and facilitators,

and the post-release programm

e. Using expert associates to deliver the

programm

e works w

ell in terms of outcom

es and resource efficiency;

however, these facilitators need to be em

ployed on a project/contract basis w

ith clear deliverables, and must be paid to be involved in m

ore coordina-tion/m

anagement activities, for exam

ple:

• Strategic planning and proposal developm

ent•

Meetings before sessions/program

me cycle to agree on focus points

• Regular check-ins and reflections to learn and share and im

prove the program

me w

here possible.

Comm

unication channels should also be clear and made clear. System

atic m

onitoring, evaluation and learning would also benefit the project, and

assist with better reporting and accountability, w

hich is needed.

5.3.3 PROJECT STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND W

ELLNESS

In both countries, there is a need for more com

mitted project staff

devel-opm

ent and wellness activities. There is a need for training on how

to deal w

ith and protect oneself in terms of safety and disease due to the terrible

conditions of many of the prisons. Additionally, psychological support is

necessary, perhaps through a regular and structured debriefing and well-

ness programm

e. New

staff need to be properly orientated w

hen they join the project.

6. CONCLUSION

The “Ending impunity in torture and cruel, inhum

ane and degrading treatm

ent of children in prison” project has been very effective in term

s of positively changing the attitudes and behaviour of participants, enabling them

to be more constructive in term

s of their own feelings and their ability

to manage these and interact w

ith others. Relationships between prisoners

and prison staff and other prisoners has im

proved because of these life skills, w

hich has led to some decrease in how

the YICWTL are treated in pris-

on. The project enjoys many eff

ective methodologies and im

plementation

strategies. How

ever, it is not possible to truly realise the impact unless there

is more institutional roll-out of the program

me w

ith prison staff. Aside from

investigating how

to realise this, the project would benefit from

investing in its staff

development and w

ellness more, and revising m

anagement m

odels and processes to be m

ore efficient and eff

ective.

REFERENCESBecker, G

. 1968. Crime and punishm

ent: An economic approach. Jo

urn

al o

f

Po

litica

l Eco

no

my, 7

6, 169 – 217.

Clements, P. (2004). The rehabilitative role of arts education in prison:

Accomm

odation or enlightenment?. International Journal of Art &

Design

Ed

uca

tion, 2

3(2), 169-178.

Danish Institute Against Torture. (2013). Children and juveniles in detention: A

study on compliance w

ith international standards in Sierra Leone. Retrievable from

https://dignityinstitute.org/media/2065757/pubseries_no4_chil-

dren-and-juveniles-in-detention.pdf

Edgar, L. (2012). How

do the benefits of Arts education manifest and

develop? A case study of teachers who have com

pleted the ACE: Arts and Culture course at the U

niversity of the Witw

atersrand’s School of Education. U

niversity of the Witw

atersrand.

Grace, N

. (1993). Arts-related activities in prisons. Convergence, 26(3), 65.

Gast, L. (2012). External Evaluation for Young in Prison.

Gussak, D

. (2007). The Effectiveness of Art Therapy in Reducing D

epression in Prison Populations. International Journal of O

ffender Therapy &

Comparative Crim

inology, 51(4), 444 – 460.

Johnson, L. M. (2008). A place for art in prison: Art as a tool for rehabilitation

and managem

ent. Southwest Journal of Crim

inal Justice, 5(2), 100-120.

Koch, S. C., Osterm

ann, T., Steinhage, A., Kende, P., Haller, K., &

Chyle, F. (2015). Breaking barriers: Evaluating an arts-based em

otion regulation training in prison. A

rts

in P

sych

oth

era

py, 4241 – 49.

Meekum

s, B., & D

aniel, J. (2011). Arts with off

enders: A literature synthesis. Th

e A

rts

in P

sych

oth

era

py, 38(4), 229-238.

Ruppert, S. (2006). Critical Evidence: How

the Arts Benefit Student Engagem

ent.

National Assem

bly of State Arts Agencies.

Schoonover, B. (1986). The captive audience. Art Education 39(3), 33-35.

Stiegelbauer, S. (2008). The Arts and Afterschool Programs: A Research

Synthesis. US D

epartment of Education.

UN

ICEF. (2013). Torture and ill-treatment in the context of juve-

nile justice: The final report of research in Armenia, Azerbaijan,

Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Republic of M

oldova, Tajikistan, and U

kraine. Retrievable from https://w

ww

.unicef.org/ceecis/Torture_and_ill-treatm

ent_in_the_Context_of_Juvenile_EN.pdf

Vacca, J. S. (2004). Educated prisoners are less likely to return to prison. Jo

urn

al o

f Co

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tion, 297-305.

Wolf, D

.P. & ArtsPartners (2003). Arts and Cultural Learning: Changing

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Young in Prison (2016). What w

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ww

.younginprison.org.za

4544

APPENDIX A: EXAMPLES OF CIDTP

• H

aving food taken away

• H

aving drink taken away

• N

ot being allowed to sleep

• N

ot being given necessary medicine or healthcare

• H

aving visitation rights taken away

• Being threatened if unw

illing to do favours for prison staff or other

YICWTL

• Being raped (penetration, w

ith an object)•

Not being protected from

a threatening situation•

Being beaten (with an object, w

ith fists)•

Being held or forced down

• Being subjected to electric shocks

• Being suff

ocated/ strangled•

Being burnt (cigarettes, other instruments)

• Being shaken violently

• Being sexually m

olested•

Being subjected to other physical violence (kicked etc.)•

Being hurt with a w

eapon (stabbed)•

Being drugged•

Being placed into solitary confinement for a day or for a few

weeks

• Being covered w

ith water and beaten

• Being forced to w

atch others get hurt•

Being threatened with violence or harm

to family

APPENDIX B: COPOSO PROGRAMM

E GOALS

• Increased self-esteem

and self-confidence•

Increased awareness of self and others

• Increased autonom

y (the idea that my actions have an im

pact on the w

orld around me)

• Increased ability to articulate and express diffi

cult emotions

• Im

proved comm

unication skills•

Opportunities to develop and harness individual creativity and critical

thinking•

Providing a safe space in which individuals can explore their em

otions and how

they deal with these em

otions•

Connecting each young person to internal and external resources that w

ill help them in the future

• Im

proved ability to self-reflect•

Improved stress m

anagement and increased aw

areness of frustration and skills.

4746

YOUNG IN PRISONINTERNATIONAL

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