Building Life Skills And Reducing Recidivism

Purpose: In the United States, about two-thirds of incarcerated women who have been released back into the community after they have served time, are re-arrested (Gordon, 2018). This scholarly project was created to help decrease the recidivism rates amongst the female population. Even though there are still more males incarcerated than females, female prisons population have increased 700% both on the state side and locally (Cowan, 2019). The purpose of developing Putting Together the Puzzle of Life is to illustrate the role of occupational therapy in the treatment of incarcerated individuals to reduce recidivism rates amongst the female population. Methods: To complete the program, an extensive literature review was completed to develop Putting Together the Puzzle of Life program. Literature regarding integration of Person Environment Occupation (PEO) model (Law et al., 1996) and Occupation Adaptation Model (OAM) (Schkade & Schultz, 1992) was included. The role of occupational therapy (OT) in this area of practice is not officially distinguished; however, the role of occupational therapy would be beneficial for this population. OT includes holistic, client-centered, and occupation-based interventions to address the needs of the women that are currently incarcerated. This life skills program was designed for women who are transitioning back into the community to refine or build skills for them to succeed. For this population, a life skills program was developed, which included seven professional led sessions for individuals to engage in. This program is flexible and can be modified for the population and what is most important to the women in the facility at that time. Conclusion: Putting Together the Puzzle of Life was developed in collaboration with a department of corrections and rehabilitation facility to decrease the amount of recidivism and be successful as they reintegrate into the community. By creating a holistic, client-centered program, it increases motivation and encourages individuals to participate and maximize their learning