The Relationship Between Mentorship And Self-Efficacy Post-Incarceration
Studies show that high-self efficacy is predictive of criminal desistance. The evidence supporting the use of mentorship programs to promote self-efficacy post-incarceration is promising, but inconsistent. Evidence suggests that mentorship schemes are most successful when the mentor is perceived as valuable, and that the 72 hours immediately following incarceration represent a particularly vulnerable time.
The purpose of this study was to examine the ways in which mentorship relates to self-efficacy. Various elements of mentor relationships were explored, such as the significance of lived experience, the starting point and consistency of mentor relationships, and how valuable ex-offenders perceive their mentors to be. The association between self-efficacy and being a mentor to others was also assessed, as were mood states during the initial 72-hours post-incarceration and in general.
Author: Lindy Callaghan MSc