What impact does drama therapy have on wellbeing for incarcerated populations?
by Shaina Fawn, LCSW
The United States imprisons more of its population than any other country on earth. Presently, 1.5 million individuals are incarcerated in state and federal prisons on any given day in the United States (US), with a total of 7 million people involved in the institutions of corrections when accounting for parole and probation and juveniles touched by the system (Cullen, 2017). Racial disparities exist concerning how people are arrested and convicted of crimes based on their minority status. Disparities exist at all levels of interaction with the judicial system, from arrest to conviction to sentencing (Kovera, 2019). There currently exist different models for approaching rehabilitation in the prison system. Francis Cullen (2017) refers to these approaches as either punishment or social welfare approaches. The former emphasizes retribution for crimes committed, while the latter recognizes the social and systemic forces that make someone commit a crime and seeks to address those directly. Drama therapy is considered a progressive approach with social welfare influences. This poster will explore drama therapy as an intervention for individuals impacted by incarceration and will look at its effect on rehabilitation and post-incarceration re-integration.
Overview of Drama Therapy as an Intervention
Drama therapy, or psychodrama, has roots in psychotherapy and theater and uses the process of theater practices to enhance socio-emotional and psychological growth (Leeder & Wimmer, 2007). The theoretical underpinning associated with drama therapy or psychodrama is Role Theory, developed by Robert Landy in 1993. Assumptions of Role Theory posit that humans often assume a “role” that influences their behavior and thinking patterns. Drama therapy assists individuals in assuming different roles, which promotes self-awareness and a more expansive way of thinking and viewing the world (Landy, 2009). Psychodrama seeks to break maladaptive patterns and increase the ability to utilize coping skills in distressing situations (Leeder & Wimmer, 2007). Drama therapy in prisons first began being studied as an intervention in 1988 with the formation of the The Geese Theatre Company by John Bergman. The model was developed by engaging in listening sessions with inmates and officers about their perceptions of drama-based interventions (Johnsons & Emunah, 2009).
Literature Review
Leeder and Wimmer (2007) explored drama therapy as an invention specifically for incarcerated women in a drug and alcohol abuse program. Their study used drama therapy techniques in both group and individual therapy sessions. Creative expression was used through various methods, including writing prompts, performance, improvisational games, movement exercises, role plays, and role reversals. Role reversals were particularly powerful, as participants could see someone else “act out” their story. This separation helped to increase an expansive awareness and self-awareness. Data from the groups was gathered qualitatively through the participants' self-response, and it was revealed that the drama therapy exercises helped the women to expand on their sense of self and identity by no longer seeing themselves as the labels placed on them, i.e., “convicted felon” or “drug addict.” Additionally, in interacting with other women through psychodrama activities, the women were able to form connections to their community and form new perspectives on how to move forward from healing their trauma.
Davey et al. (2015) explore drama therapy as a form of rehabilitation or, as they call it, “desistance from crime.” The authors argue in their investigation that drama therapy is not as much an intervention but a “process” that engages an individual in a long-lasting transformation that inspires them to decrease future criminal activity (p. 801). Inherent in the theatre desistance process is the formation of “prosocial narratives” by which drama therapy activities are used to help individuals explore their values, which help to enhance their development of a holistic identity rather than one focused on being a “criminal.” Additionally, drama therapy activities encompass an “embodied meaning-making process” that disrupts established patterns of behavior and the discovery of new identities and possibilities. Finally, in their review, the authors explore how group drama therapy offers a unique opportunity to work with others in a prosocial way that promotes group cohesion, teamwork, collaboration, and meaningful belonging.
Adolescents are a specific population who could benefit from drama therapy as this developmental period is often characterized by individuation, identity confusion, and intense hormone changes. Adolescents with intellectual disability can be particularly vulnerable as this diagnosis is often isolating and can increase the likelihood of challenges with authority figures. Geiger et al. (2020) explored drama therapy with adolescents diagnosed with intellectual disabilities. The study’s sample size included 11 individuals who participated in 11 drama therapy workshop sessions. The youth engaged in activities such as puppetry, role-playing, and live audience performance in the sessions. After the study, researchers concluded that drama therapy created a “play space” that allowed participants new methods to express their feelings and enhanced creativeness and empowerment (Geiger et al., 2020, p. 7). Though this study was not conducted with incarcerated or justice-involved youth, it nonetheless sheds some light on the possibilities of using drama therapy in the context of adolescent correctional facilities.
Discussion and Conclusion
In conducting this research, significant gaps In the literature were identified that warrant further exploration. For example, in the Leeder & Wimmer (2015) study, there was no clear distinction of how psychodrama may or may not have had an impact on reduced substance abuse or sobriety maintenance of the participants. Additionally, Davey et al. (2015) identified that although it appears in the few studies that do exist that drama therapy can positively impact incarcerated individuals, further empirical evidence is needed to make it an evidence-based practice for use in the prison population (p. 806). Furthermore, another challenge highlighted by this inquiry is that for it to be effective in the prison setting, all people involved in the institution, from staff to prisoners to practitioners, must believe in the incarcerated person‘s ability to change (Johnsons & Emunah, 2009). Despite the gaps in the literature and the need for further investigation, what has emerged is a qualitative evidence base that exists for the use of drama therapy, highlighting that the intervention can have a powerful effect on behavior, identity, and rehabilitation.
References
Cullen F. T. & Jonson C. L. (2017). Correctional theory : context and consequences (Second). SAGE.
Davey, L., Day, A., & Balfour, M. (2015). Performing desistance: how might theories of desistance from crime help us understand the possibilities of prison theatre?. International journal of offender therapy and comparative criminology, 59(8), 798-809.
Geiger, A., Shpigelman, C. N., & Feniger-Schaal, R. (2020). The socio-emotional world of adolescents with intellectual disability: A drama therapy-based participatory action research. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 70, 101679.
Johnson, D. R., & Emunah, R. (Eds.). (2009). Current approaches in drama therapy (2nd ed.).
Kovera, M., (2019). Racial disparities in the criminal justice system: Prevalence, causes, and a search for solutions. Journal of Social Issues, 75(4), 1139-1164.
Leeder, A., & Wimmer, C. (2007). Voices of pride: Drama therapy with incarcerated women. Women & Therapy, 29(3-4), 195-213.
Landy, R. (2009). Role theory and the role method of drama therapy. Current approaches in drama therapy, 2, 65-88.
