Can People Flourish in Prison? Rethinking Well-Being Behind Bars
Robin LaBarbera • May 13, 2025
When we imagine human flourishing, we picture lives filled with possibility, growth, and meaningful relationships-rarely do we associate these ideas with prison. Yet, even within the harsh confines of incarceration, stories of transformation and hope continue to emerge. Recent research is challenging the assumption that flourishing is only possible in freedom, revealing how well-being can take root in unexpected places, especially through educational and faith-based programs.
What Is Human Flourishing?
Flourishing is more than just happiness or the absence of suffering. Philosophers like Aristotle described it as "eudaimonia," which is a life of virtue, purpose, and fulfillment. Modern thinkers have expanded this idea. Tyler VanderWeele (2017) outlines five core domains of flourishing:
- Happiness and life satisfaction
- Physical and mental health
- Meaning and purpose
- Character and virtue
- Close social relationships
Other models, like Seligman’s PERMA framework, add elements such as engagement and accomplishment, while Ryff and Singer emphasize autonomy, personal growth, and self-acceptance. These frameworks show that flourishing is multidimensional and can be measured in diverse contexts-including prisons.
Flourishing in Carceral Contexts
Prisons are environments marked by deprivation, isolation, and trauma. Yet, research shows that with the right supports, incarcerated individuals can develop the psychological and social assets needed for well-being. Pettus et al. (2021) identify five key facilitators for justice-involved populations:
- Healthy thinking patterns
- Meaningful work or activities
- Effective coping strategies
- Positive social engagement
- Supportive interpersonal relationships
Self-Determination Theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000) adds that autonomy, competence, and relatedness are universal needs-even in restrictive environments. The Prison Fellowship Good Citizenship Model reframes prison success around flourishing and prosocial values, not just recidivism.
The Power of Supportive Relationships
One of the most important findings is the role of supportive relationships. Despite the mistrust and isolation common in prison, social support from peers can buffer against psychological harm, foster trust, and create a sense of belonging. Programs like The Urban Ministry Institute (TUMI) help participants build “spiritual families” that provide accountability, hope, and a model for healthy relationships-often for the first time in their lives.
Barriers to Flourishing
Still, the prison environment presents serious obstacles. Chronic stress, trauma, lack of autonomy, and identity disruption are widespread. Overcrowding and institutional rules can erode mental health and make meaningful growth difficult. Yet, these challenges also highlight the importance of intentional interventions.
Pathways to Transformation
Educational programs, especially those with cognitive-behavioral or faith-based components, are among the most effective ways to foster flourishing. They help individuals develop self-awareness, emotional regulation, and a renewed sense of purpose. Faith-based programs like TUMI add a spiritual and moral dimension, supporting both personal and community transformation.
Rethinking Success: Beyond Recidivism
Traditionally, the success of prison programs has been measured by recidivism rates. But this narrow focus misses the broader goals of rehabilitation. Increasingly, experts argue that flourishing-measured by well-being, positive identity, and supportive social connections-should be the core outcome. This shift recognizes the full humanity and potential of those impacted by the justice system.
Conclusion: Reimagining Justice
The evidence is clear: flourishing is possible, even in prison. By centering well-being as the primary goal, correctional systems can move beyond punishment to foster real transformation. This approach not only benefits individuals but also strengthens families and communities, offering a more hopeful and humane vision of justice.
Faith-based education does more than teach — it builds brotherhood. New research reveals how community drives transformation in prison.
Can data reveal human flourishing after prison? Five rounds of reentry evaluation at House of Mercy say yes.
When we think about prison education, we tend to ask one question: Does it reduce recidivism? It's a reasonable question, but it may be the wrong one. My recently published study in the Journal of Global Education and Research asked a different question: Does participating in a seminary-level theological education program actually change how people flourish while they're still incarcerated and after they come home? The answer, across 266 participants in six facilities and four states, was yes. Participants in The Urban Ministry Institute (TUMI) prison program showed higher scores on established well-being measures, healthier thinking patterns, stronger coping skills, and more positive relationships than comparison groups. And those gains didn't evaporate at the gate. Program graduates in reentry carried the markers of flourishing into post-release life. What flourishing actually looks like Flourishing isn't a soft concept. Drawing on Diener's Flourishing Scale, a validated instrument used in positive psychology research, the study measured constructs such as purpose, engagement, meaning, and positive relationships. These aren't warm feelings. They're measurable conditions that predict sustained behavior change. What the data showed was this: when incarcerated men and women are given access to rigorous academic study grounded in community and accountability, something shifts. Not just in what they know, but in who they are becoming. The research identified five mechanisms driving that transformation: deep educational engagement, authentic peer community, relational accountability, future-oriented purpose, and restorative action through mentorship. Each reinforces the others. Together, they create the conditions for the kind of change that lasts. Why this matters beyond the research Policymakers, funders, and program designers consistently reach for recidivism as their primary metric. But recidivism tells us something quite narrow — whether someone returned to prison within a given window. It tells us almost nothing about whether a person is living well, contributing to their community, or building a meaningful life. If we want justice systems that actually produce human flourishing, we need to measure what flourishing looks like. And we need to fund and design programs that create the conditions for it. Faith-based theological education in prison, when done with rigor and relational integrity, does that. The full peer-reviewed article, "Religious Higher Education in Prison in the United States: The Importance of Well-Being," is published in the Journal of Global Education and Research (Vol. 10, Issue 2, 2026). Read it here.
We rarely discuss people serving life sentences who've genuinely transformed. Karen Brown's 40-year journey shows why we should.
What does dignity look like for our unhoused neighbors? Sometimes it is a shower, sometimes it is a mailbox, sometimes it is simply being seen.
Measuring flourishing is not simply about identifying domains or creating a reliable tool. It requires asking questions in a way that respects the dignity and lived experience of the people responding. That cannot be done from a distance. It requires proximity.
This is why prison education isn’t just a moral argument—it’s a practical one. It reduces future crime. It lowers costs. It strengthens communities. And it saves lives, sometimes in the most unexpected places.
This research contributes to a growing body of evidence showing the value of high-quality educational programs in correctional settings—not only for reducing recidivism but for fostering human flourishing.
Mary Flin’s example challenges me to rethink what it means to serve, to listen, and to love my own neighbors. Her life is a living answer to the question: What if every neighborhood had a chaplain?
The evidence is clear: faith-based educational programs like The Urban Ministry Institute offer far more than theological training—they cultivate well-being, leadership, and resilience among incarcerated individuals.
