As incarceration rates rise globally, the need to reduce re-offending grows increasingly urgent. We investigate whether positive group bonds can improve behaviours among incarcerated people via a unique soccer-based prison intervention, the Twinning Project. We analyse effects of participation compared to a control group (study 1, n = 676, n = 1,874 control cases) and longitudinal patterns of social cohesion underlying these effects (study 2, n = 388) in the United Kingdom. We also explore desistance from crime after release (study 3, n = 249) in the United Kingdom and the United States. As law-abiding behaviour also requires a supportive receiving community, we assessed factors influencing willingness to employ formerly incarcerated people in online samples in the United Kingdom and the United States (studies 4–9, n = 1,797). Results indicate that social bonding relates to both improved behaviour within prison and increased willingness of receiving communities to support re-integration efforts. Harnessing the power of group identities both within prison and receiving communities can help to address the global incarceration crisis.

随着全球监禁率的上升，减少再犯罪的需求变得越来越紧迫。我们调查了积极的群体纽带是否可以通过独特的基于足球的监狱干预措施 Ttwo Project 来改善被监禁者的行为。我们分析了与对照组（研究 1，n = 676，n = 1,874 个对照案例）相比参与的影响，以及在英国这些影响背后的社会凝聚力的纵向模式（研究 2，n = 388）。我们还探讨了英国和美国释放后停止犯罪的情况（研究 3，n = 249）。由于守法行为也需要一个支持性的接收社区，我们在英国和美国的在线样本中评估了影响雇用有监禁史的人意愿的因素（研究 4-9，n = 1,797）。 结果表明，社会纽带与监狱内行为的改善和接收社区支持重返社会工作的意愿增加有关。利用监狱和接收社区内的群体身份的力量可以帮助解决全球监禁危机。