Exploring the efficacy of a bereavement support group for male category C prisoners: a pilot study

Bereavement features frequently in the lives of offenders. Unresolved grief may also be linked with offending behaviour. This article describes an innovative co-facilitated bereavement support group set up by members of the voluntary organisation Cruse Bereavement Care in a category C male prison. A pilot evaluation study of the group was undertaken, using quantitative and qualitative methods. The results suggest that this model of group intervention, offered alongside one-to-one support, can be useful for some prisoners in reducing levels of despair, blame and anger, and in fostering personal growth, at least in the short term, if they are committed to engage with the group process.