Sinsch-Gouffi has been working on her project since 2021 and is breaking new ground: She drew up a basic concept for musical work in the prison system, which she has evaluated and revised over the last few years. Her aim is to enable cultural participation and education and to promote social learning on this basis. "As an action researcher, I am constantly optimizing my approach", explains the music therapist. It has become clear that it is not enough for patients to learn how to play an instrument in prison: "They must also be given the chance to participate in cultural events." A wish that is not easy to combine with the strict curfew in psychiatric facilities. Sinsch-Gouffi contacted the broadcaster MDR and initiated a collaboration with the MDR broadcaster’s choir. The highlight: At a concert in March 2024, the ensemble not only played music together with the inmates, but also performed a patient's own composition.
Music behind bars: KU doctoral student honored for music project in forensic commitment
![[Translate to Englisch:] Gefängnis](/fileadmin/_processed_/2/b/csm_AdobeStock_157551132_22bb934917.jpeg)
The International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPA) was not only impressed by this sub-project, but generally emphasized the importance of Sinsch-Gouffi's work with mentally ill offenders for their recovery and resocialization process. The jury writes in its statement: "In addition to strengthening the personal and social resources of the patients, emphasis is placed on fulfilling the basic right to cultural education and participation in confinement." The project in Saxony-Anhalt combines music education, music therapy and music geragogy for older inmates with community music. Community music aims for inclusion, the participants themselves negotiate among themselves what music they want to make and how. The ICPA jury particularly praised this low-threshold approach.
Innovative, inspiring for others, transferable into their practice – and with demonstrably positive results: The jury felt that Sinsch-Gouffi's project in the Uchtspringe psychiatric hospital met its key criteria for the ICPA award. In 2024, the ICPA award for outstanding achievements in the prison system not only went to a music concept for the first time, but also to Germany for the first time. The award was presented at the beginning of September in Singapore. The ICPA is committed to a humane, future-oriented penal system and has consultative status with the UN. The Correctional Excellence Awards for outstanding achievements in the prison system have been presented annually since 2006.
For her dissertation at the KU, Sandra Sinsch-Gouffi is now evaluating the results of her qualitative case study, which is also pioneering work: To date, there have been no scientific studies - even internationally - on musical work in prisons. The thesis was supervised by Prof. Dr. Daniel Mark Eberhard, Professor of Music Education and Music Didactics and head of the unique European Master's degree program "Inclusive Music Education/Community Music".
A report on Sandra Sinsch-Gouffi's excellent work can also be found in the media library of TV broadcaster ARD.