When Mindfulness has Side Effects: The Case of Prisoners Who Perceive Crimes Perpetrated as Not Very Severe

Abstract

The benefits of mindfulness for general and at-risk populations have been documented. The aim of the present study was to consider how mindfulness affects prison inmates’ wellbeing and relational competence and to investigate whether this relation varied as a function of their perceptions of the severity of the crime committed and the length of their punishment. Forty nine prison inmates (Mean age = 49.69 years, SD = 10.47) located in two prisons in Italy took part in a longitudinal study where they were asked to complete a self-report questionnaire. Results demonstrated that mindfulness predicted a decrease in both wellbeing and relational competence over time but only for those inmates who perceived the crime committed as less severe. No statistically significant moderating effect of the length of the punishment emerged. The results are discussed considering the conditions in which mindfulness may be a risk factor, having therefore undesirable side effects, for inmates.

Plain Language Summary

When mindfulness backfires: The case of prisoners who don’t see their crimes as that bad

Mindfulness has positive effects for both the general population and people at risk. This study looked at how mindfulness affects the well-being and relationships of prisoners, and whether this depends on how they view the seriousness of their crime or the length of their sentence to jail. 49 prisoners took part in a longitudinal study where they filled out a questionnaire. The results showed that mindfulness led to a decrease in both well-being and relationship skills over time, but only for prisoners who saw their crime as less severe. The length of their sentence didn’t seem to have an effect.