When Mindfulness has Side Effects: The Case of Prisoners Who Perceive Crimes Perpetrated as Not Very Severe.
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology June 28, 2025 Francesca Danioni, Francesca Giorgia Paleari, Daniel Lumera et al.
Mindfulness training can sometimes reduce wellbeing and relational competence among prison inmates, particularly those who view their crime as less severe. In a longitudinal study of 49 inmates in two Italian prisons, mindfulness predicted a decline in both wellbeing and relational competence over time, but only for inmates who perceived their crime as less serious. The length of punishment did not significantly affect this relationship. The findings suggest that under certain conditions, mindfulness may have unintended negative effects, highlighting the need to refine mindfulness interventions for incarcerated populations.