Evaluation of an inmate-run alternatives to violence project - The impact of inmate-to-inmate intervention

The Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP), a nonviolence training program run for inmates by inmates, represents an attempt to combat institutional v iolence. This program provides alternatives to violent behavior it decrease s the rate of violence within and among the prison population and may trans late back to the community on release. An impact evaluation of an AVP was c onducted in a medium-security corrections facility in Maryland. Despite lim itations, the results from this evaluation demonstrate a positive impact on anger and self-reported confrontation for inmates who completed a basic le vel conflict resolution workshop as compared to those who did not. The powe r of the institutional environment, the need for continued intervention wit h offenders, and future directions for correctional setting-based evaluatio ns are discussed.