Restorative justice (RJ) has beneficial outcomes for both incarcerated persons and victims. This study aims to examine how two psychological factors – malleability, defined as the belief in one’s ability to change, and meta-malleability, defined as the perception of how society views one’s ability to change – influence incarcerated individuals’ willingness to engage in RJ.
A total of 173 incarcerated men first completed a demographic questionnaire and a measure of meta-malleability. Participants were then randomly assigned to either an experimental group, which viewed video content designed to convey the message that people are capable of change, or a control group with no such exposure. Following the manipulation, all participants completed validated scales assessing their malleability beliefs and willingness to participate in RJ. Statistical analyses examined both direct effects and the moderating role of meta-malleability.
Results revealed that exposure to change-centered messaging significantly enhanced malleability and increased willingness to participate in RJ. Meta-malleability moderated this relationship: when individuals believed society viewed them as capable of change, their own malleability had a greater influence on their motivation for RJ.
These findings emphasize the impact of personal and societal beliefs in shaping the involvement of incarcerated individuals in RJ. They highlight the necessity for interventions that not only develop internal beliefs but also confront stigmatizing societal narratives, ultimately aiding in meaningful rehabilitation and reintegration. By introducing a simple, scalable and theory-driven intervention within prison settings, the study offers a novel approach to enhancing RJ engagement and points to new directions for psychologically informed rehabilitation programs.
