A descriptive study exploring the role of music therapy in prisons
Introduction
Music therapy research and literature has begun to document developments and results of music therapy programs in the field of correctional services. The work in this field can be divided broadly into three main areas. In the field of correctional psychiatry, the correctional mental health professional works with people residing in prisons who have been found guilty and sentenced by the courts. These residents also have a psychiatric diagnosis. Forensic psychiatry involves psychiatric evaluations of people residing in prisons, and treatment of patients with criminal records who have been found not guilty for reasons of insanity. In this instance, the music therapist usually works outside of the prisons, for example in special wards of regular state hospitals. Music therapists also work generally within the field of correctional services with people who haven’t been identified as having a psychiatric history. This can occur in a number of contexts including community settings and prisons.
In 1987, Thaut wrote that music therapists have recently entered the field of correctional psychiatry. In 1992, he compared the field of correctional psychiatry with that of forensic psychiatry. During this time he wrote that fewer people aim to work in correctional psychiatry than when compared to the field of forensic psychiatry. If the number of music therapy publications reflects the number of people working in each field or their intentions to work in each field, then Thaut’s (1987) description is accurate. Upon reviewing music therapy literature, a greater number of articles detailing work by music therapists in forensic psychiatry have been found, while only infrequent reference has been made to music therapy practitioners working, or music therapy programs conducted within correctional psychiatry, or even more generally in correctional facilities.
In an article detailing aspects of her postgraduate music therapy research in correctional services, Hoskyns (1995) wrote that little clinical and research material relating to music therapy and to people who are, or have accessed correctional services, has been documented. Just as Thaut in the 1980s and Loth in the 1990s, Hoskyns (1995) described forensic psychiatry as a still relatively new field of practice for music therapists.
As early as 1979, Wardle described the provision of music therapy in a women’s prison. In this article, she described the use of different method variations with people residing in a psychiatric wing of a female prison. The method variations used included vocal and instrumental singing and playing, song selection, and improvisation. Publications in the subsequent decade, particularly by Nolan (1983) and Cohen (1987), provided more insight into the use of specific approaches, including psychotherapy, supportive group music therapy, and guided imagery and music, in both the prison and psychiatric hospital settings. Another significant article published in this decade was an article written by Thaut (1987). In this article, he described the use of a group music therapy technique to be used with people with severe mental illness, and who had also been convicted of criminal activity. In summary, authors have described the use of many methods and variations when facilitating music therapy programs in the correctional arena, including song selection, song recreation, vocal improvisation, and instrumental improvisation. Song parody, improvisational, compositional and didactic variations have also been used by the authors in this context.
During the 1990s, music therapists began to explore in more detail the dynamics, phenomenon and challenges involved when providing music therapy for people with a criminal history (Hoskyns, 1995; Loth, 1994; Thaut, 1992). Loth (1994) investigated aspects of work in the forensic psychiatric setting, more specifically in a medium secure unit situated within a general psychiatric hospital. Her article provided insight into intra- and inter-personal dynamics, and interactions that occur and combine during a music therapy program. She provided the reader with insight into the lives of individuals that access correctional services. She also explored some of the reasons why certain interactions did or did not occur during music therapy.
Hoskyns (1995) published work that detailed research into group music therapy with adult offenders who had accessed music therapy in community rehabilitation settings, more specifically in Day Training Centers. She examined the perspectives of people accessing music therapy, the observer’s viewpoint when assessing and rating music therapy through the use of video material, and her own viewpoint as a therapist in relation to case work and developing theory. She suggested that through music therapy provision changes in self-perception may result. She linked these changes to subsequent positive changes in the ways in which participant’s will then adapt and respond to his or her environment.
In addition to exploring music therapy goals and methods used in the correctional arena, Thaut (1992) detailed professional considerations for music therapists who work in this field. He provided useful styles of group music therapy and a specific session structure for music psychotherapy in correctional psychiatry. He outlined that reducing anxiety, stress, hostility and combativeness were important goals in this context, as was the application of music for positive mood induction. He highlighted that when facilitating music therapy with imprisoned people who have a psychiatric diagnosis, a means of creating and sustaining emotional and motivational ties with reality could be achieved.
Thaut (1992) outlined the need for the music therapist to realistically accept limitations of working in a prison setting, and the need to develop adapted techniques appropriate to the setting. The ‘here and now’ approach that consists of brief, time-limited interventions focusing on realistic and attainable goals was emphasized. The premise of using music that reflects the participant’s personal preferences for musical styles and songs was also encouraged. He explained that this contributes to greater participant response, motivation, and engagement. This is in contrast to Wardle 1979, Wardle 1980) earlier contributions that described the prescriptive use of Fellowship Songbooks as resources for the selection of songs to be chosen and sung by the residents.
In the majority of music therapy publications, the authors have reflected upon their own responses to working in this context, as well as the unique challenges, rewards, and obstacles inherent in the work. Thaut (1992) described that the music therapist may experience ambivalent feelings such as cynicism, anger, overwhelming empathy, and punitive attitudes toward the participants in the programs. He continued to write that these attitudes will make the therapist less effective. It could be argued that when working in any context, unique challenges, rewards, and obstacles will be presented to the therapist. The program’s efficacy will not be determined by what is evoked in the therapist, but by the insight the therapist has into his or her own responses, and the ways in which he or she allows these responses to obstruct, impact upon or contribute toward the therapeutic process. In this setting, a balance between roles and responsibilities for the therapist and the music needs to occur. In the correctional setting, the therapist is frequently responsible for his or her own safety and the safety of others; this is one example of the balance between the roles and responsibilities that is required. In accordance with Bruscia (1998), it is suggested that balance and variance will assist in decreasing the incidence of countertransferance. Regular, professional supervision of the therapist working in this context is highly encouraged as a way to explore and boundary feelings that may intrude upon, limit or contribute toward therapeutic development.
When working in this context, it is important that the therapist be aware of and have explored, or be able to explore, their own beliefs, and to discover biases toward many human behaviors, predispositions, and choices. This includes: beliefs and biases that relate to criminal activity; mental health issues; differing forms of abuse including substance, physical, emotional and sexual abuse; sexuality; and the role of the individual and society in responding to criminal activity. The therapist also needs to examine and be aware of their own perspective relating to rehabilitative versus punishment models of response to criminal activity.
Section snippets
Method
A 12 session music therapy project was implemented in a female correctional facility, with the aim to investigate the role of music therapy in correctional facilities. The program was designed to be conducted over the duration of 12 weeks, one session per week; however, due to public and prison holidays, the program was completed in 14 weeks. Women were invited to attend the program through the posting of an advertisement on a general noticeboard in the facility.
During the first session, the
Results
Five out of a possible seven participants elected to complete the program. It was speculated that low levels of self-esteem and feelings of alienation were influential factors as to why one participant elected not to continue with the program. Both women that elected not to continue did not describe themselves as having a relationship with any of the other five participants prior to the program. Furthermore, one of these women, even though having an extensive musical background, may have felt
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- Hoskyns, S. L. (1988). Studying music therapy with offenders: research in progress. Psychology of Music, 16,...
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2012, Arts in PsychotherapyCitation Excerpt :Consequently, music therapists working in forensic psychiatry have developed very specific treatment programs, oriented on overt behavior of patients and influencing the so called risk-need-responsivity principals (Andrews, Bonta, & Hoge, 1990; Bonta & Andrews, 2007) and the Good Lives Model (Ward & Brown, 2004). Most music therapy programs are specifically designed to contribute to reducing risk factors and improving protective factors of offenders, such as coping skills and preventing aggressive behavior (Daveson & Edwards, 2001; Gant, 2000; Hakvoort, 2002; Zeuch, 2003; Zeuch & Hillecke, 2004). So, to what extent does musical behavior of forensic psychiatric patients during music therapy match daily behavior demonstrated at the living unit?
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2011, Arts in PsychotherapyCitation Excerpt :Many of the articles were written by practitioners working with offenders, or by therapists who were sympathetic to the practitioners’ point of view, thus introducing a serious research bias. At times it was unclear as to whether the authors (who were also arts practitioners or therapists) had been involved in the practice described in the article (e.g. Daveson & Edwards, 2001). A shortage of funding means that those scholars who choose to research arts practice with offenders often have a background in arts or arts therapies.
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2024, International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology
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E-mail address: [email protected] (B. Daveson).