When Mindfulness has Side Effects: The Case of Prisoners Who Perceive Crimes Perpetrated as Not Very Severe.
Francesca Danioni, Francesca Giorgia Paleari, Daniel Lumera, Cristina Franchini, Camillo Regalia
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology June 28, 2025 DOI: 10.1177/0306624X251345941 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractMindfulness 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.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Longitudinal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 49 |
| Population | Prison inmates in Italy |
| Intervention | Mindfulness |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Longitudinal study Prison inmates Relational competence Positive wellbeing Reduced wellbeing |
| Key finding | Mindfulness predicted a decrease in wellbeing and relational competence over time for inmates who perceived their crime as less 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.