Developing ‘soft skills’, encouraging self-reflection and alleviating the pains of imprisonment: Examining the effects of an academically accredited sport-based intervention on politically affiliated prisoners' wellbeing

This chapter focuses on politically affiliated male prisoners in Northern Ireland (or the North of Ireland) and the ways in which engagement in the academically accredited sport-based intervention ‘Stay Onside: Stay Onside: Applied Football Studies’ impacted their wellbeing. The programme combines educational and sport-based practical elements and is delivered by experienced football coaches and academics. Empirical data gathered through semi-structured interviews demonstrated that the ‘Stay Onside’ programme positively impacted the hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing of participants. An analysis of their accounts highlighted how the programme alleviated some of the pains of imprisonment, providing a break from forced daily interactions and the monotony of the prison routine. The analysis further illuminated participants’ increased engagement in self-reflection and the development of ‘soft skills,’ including increased social and cultural awareness and leadership. The programme was low cost and potentially scalable to other prisoners. The findings will be of interest to those funding future intervention programmes or those developing programmes that combine sport and education to enhance wellbeing in prisons.