The Toolkit for Socially Transformative Interventions

ABSTRACT

Social influences and group-based dynamics are well-established factors in the reoffending puzzle, calling for programmes that empower people in prison to re-develop and strengthen a pro-social sense of self and belonging as part of a law-abiding society. Sports are a popular and effective way to engage these social identities for positive behavioural change. The Toolkit for Socially Transformative Interventions (TSTI) offers 11 practical tools to maximise the transformative potential of group-based sports interventions in criminal justice. These tools emphasise the role of social bonds before starting, during, and after interventions to help promote behavioural change and improve wellbeing among incarcerated individuals. By embedding prosocial identities and empowering participants within interventions, the toolkit provides an adaptable, evidence-based framework for improving behaviour, strengthening community reintegration, and enhancing the effectiveness of socially driven interventions.