Football behind bars: psychosocial mechanisms of wellbeing and social integration in a prison-based sport programme
Jose Coto-Lousas, Carlos Suárez, Pablo Uría-Valle, Jacob Sierra-Diaz, Javier Fernandez-RioPurpose
This study aims to examine the subjective experiences of people living in a Spanish medium-security correctional facility who participated in a structured football programme over an academic year, exploring how participation contributed to wellbeing, personal development and the creation of meaningful psychosocial spaces within prison.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative design was used with 25 people living in prison (22 men and 3 women). Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews, focus groups and non-participant observation, and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.
Findings
Three interconnected themes were identified: wellbeing, personal development and environment. Football was experienced not merely as a recreational activity but as a distinctive psychosocial space that promoted emotional regulation, social connectedness, positive identity reconstruction and weekly rituals that extended the programme’s influence beyond the sessions themselves, helping explain how football-based programmes may support rehabilitation in custodial settings.
Research limitations/implications
This study was conducted in a single medium-security facility in Spain and included only three women, limiting transferability and gender-specific interpretation. Future research should include larger female samples, longitudinal designs and comparisons across correctional contexts.
Practical implications
Structured football programmes may strengthen prison rehabilitation when delivered regularly, facilitated by staff with psychosocial as well as technical competencies, and designed to maximise meaningful participation and equitable access.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first qualitative study of a football-based intervention in a Spanish correctional setting. It extends the international literature by demonstrating football’s temporal, social and symbolic role as a psychosocial resource, using a multimethod design integrating interviews, focus groups and observation.