Closer to the problem: can a virtual prison arts event foster psychological proximity to the issue of incarceration?

ABSTRACT

Prisons are physically separated from society. As a result, the public has little contact with incarcerated people, and few avenues for understanding their lived experiences. Our evaluation draws upon construal level theory – the idea that the more concrete something becomes, the more psychological proximity we perceive – to consider whether attending a virtual prison arts event may foster psychological proximity to incarcerated individuals and issues of incarceration among the general public. Further, we consider whether increased psychological proximity is associated with shifts in attitudes towards, and intentions to act regarding, issues of incarceration. We found that attendees (N = 142) who had been inside prisons previously had higher levels of psychological proximity at pretest. All attendees demonstrated significant increases in psychological proximity between pretest and posttest; attendees who had not visited prisons previously experienced greater changes. Increases in psychological proximity were predictive of changes in attitudes and intended behaviors. Our findings foreground the need for research which explores what kinds of events, and for whom, these effects are most impactful. Lastly, we suggest that policymakers and practitioners consider virtual gatherings and arts events as a cost-effective, yet meaningful, way to bridge the gap between incarcerated people and communities.

KEYWORDS:

• Prison arts
• evaluation research
• construal level theory
• psychological proximity
• virtual contact

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Data available upon request – contact corresponding author if applicable.

Additional information

Funding

The authors have no funding to report.

Notes on contributors

Danielle Maude Littman

Danielle Maude Littman is a PhD student in Social Work at the University of Denver (DU). As a research assistant with the DU Prison Arts Initiative, she studies the impacts of participating in arts programming for incarcerated individuals across Colorado. Her work explores sense of community and care amidst harsh social milieus.

Shannon M. Sliva

Shannon M. Sliva is an Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of Denver (DU), where she researches restorative and collaborative approaches to justice. She is the Director of Research for the DU Prison Arts Initiative.

Jeffrey Lin

Jeffrey Lin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology at the University of Denver (DU). He received his PhD in Sociology from New York University in 2005. His research focuses on correctional systems and processes in the United States, with particular emphasis on the ways that the structural realities of correctional practices affects the lives of those who live and work in these systems.