Document Type : Research/Original/Regular

Author

• Akram Alimardani

Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Human Resources, Amin Police University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Creating suitable educational and educational conditions in prisons and special wards for women as a prevention method can be very effective. The aim of the current research was to design the model of educational content for female clients with an inductive, qualitative-exploratory approach. Based on this, the country was divided into 4 geographical regions. The target population was 4 central prisons in Tehran, Ahvaz, Kerman and Tabriz provinces. The statistical sample of participants included 37 female clients, 4 prison chiefs, 31 experts and caregivers. Data collection was done using semi-structured interview until theoretical data saturation and focus group; whose data was analyzed using thematic analysis. From the findings of the research, 364 concepts were extracted in the field of educational components. After combining common concepts through central and selective coding and classification of themes, the resulting educational content model has 56 dimensions (self-awareness, social skills, health and safety, familiarity with prison, legal and educational information, knowledge and attitude), 109 components. life skills, communication skills, role expectations, health and treatment, mental health, life in prison, women's special injuries, judicial and cultural-educational legal knowledge) and 91 sub-components. Also, the life skills component with 18 sub-components and women's special injuries with 16 sub-components became the most important subjects of educational content. The results showed that the content arising from the educational needs and the developed conceptual model can play a significant role in providing a targeted and comprehensive education for this group of women.

Highlights

Background and Purpose

    Implementation of policies and programs aimed at empowering female clients within the Prisons Organization can be achieved through the utilization of a suitable curriculum and adherence to a locally relevant model. Hence, it is imperative to identify the essential and suitable subjects for all imprisoned individuals, particularly female inmates, who represent the focal population of this study. This necessitates a thorough and precise examination, employing established methodologies, to formulate and put together training programs with a well-defined and fitting curriculum (based on identified needs) and requisite content. The significance of education within prisons is underscored by Article 79 of the organization's by-laws, which highlights the provision of specialized and specialized training courses, as well as different cultural and educational programs, to all imprisoned clients. The findings of Larijani and Alimardani (2019) also underscore the imperative of providing training programs for incarcerated women. The present study aims to develop a specialized curricular model tailored for imprisoned women.

Method

The present investigation is classified as applied research in terms of its objective, and it adopts a qualitative research approach specifically focused on inductive theme analysis. Following the end of the interviews, the content analysis was conducted utilizing the Themematic Network Analysis approach proposed by Attride-Stirling (2001). The study encompassed three separate categories: global themes, organizing themes, and basic themes.

Data was gathered from a sample of four prisons, namely Tehran, Ahvaz, Kerman, and Tabriz prisons, comprising a total of 72 participants until data saturation was achieved.

Results

The results indicated that the curriculum model developed for female clients consists of five dimensions, nine components, and 66 sub-components, as outlined in Table 1.

Table 1. The coefficients and significance of the indirect effects of emotion control on marital adjustment

The findings in the table above indicate that emotional control indirectly influences marital adjustment, mediated through marital intimacy (p-value<.05).

Discussion & Conclusion

The findings indicate that the dimension of "social skill," consisting of 25 basic themes, achieved the highest ranking in comparison to the other dimensions. The findings presented in this study align with the research conducted by Samari (2016). On the other hand, within this specific dimension, the life skill component, consisting of 18 basic themes, holds the most prominent place among the many components.

All three groups of participants placed significant emphasis on the importance of attending the life skill training component. Furthermore, the present findings align with the research conducted by Farahnejad, Mohammadi, and Khorsandi (2019), which emphasizes the significance of life skills training in mitigating abnormal and risky conduct among imprisoned individuals. Baldwin (2018) has confirmed additional elements within this dimension, such as role expectations, emphasizing the maternal role.

Roshanpour and Aghajani (2019) demonstrated a statistically significant correlation between social marginalization and recidivism."Familiarity with prison" is another dimension. The respondents also underlined that providing accurate information regarding prison life, circumstances, and harm has a substantial impact on the mental health of female clients.

Article 109 of the Prisons Organization's bylaws clearly emphasizes teaching prisoners upon arrival and developing and making available to them a manual detailing the prisoner's rights and legal duties. Many individuals within the target community, including managers, prison guards, and experts, strongly emphasize the effectiveness of utilizing Quranic teachings, Islamic ethics, and religious therapy as valuable tools for maintaining and improving the mental well-being of prisoners. These practices also contribute to increasing their sense of hope and purpose in life.The results indicated that social skill training is the most crucial dimension, followed by familiarization with prisons. Additionally, the women in the target community emphasized the importance of increasing their awareness of gender roles and their connection to the institution of the family as a social unit. Some specific themes that were highlighted include parenting in prison, maintaining marital relationships while imprisoned, and maintaining the family unit as the center of their lives.

These findings highlight the fact that playing female roles is a significant concern and priority for women in all forms, conditions, and situations. Holding educational programs aimed at preventing the negative effects of separation from family and the harm associated with prison can have a positive impact on the mental health of female prisoners. Based on the information provided above, the extracted model can be instrumental in developing a comprehensive and focused educational program and content that aligns with the unique dimensions and circumstances of the women's prison.

Keywords

• pattern design"
• "female helpers"
• " Educational content"
• "jailed women

Main Subjects

• Woman and family