Evaluating reintegration effectiveness differently: A realist evaluation of sports programs in Belgian male prisons using the Capability Approach.

Reintegration of (formerly) incarcerated people is often assessed through narrow behavioral metrics such as non-recidivism or compliance with supervisory conditions. Such measures overlook crucial dimensions of reintegration - dignity, agency, and access to valued opportunities that shape how people rebuild meaningful lives during and after detention. This study addresses that gap by applying the Capability Approach within a Realist Evaluation of prison sports programs in Flanders (Belgium), examining how, why, and under what conditions sport contributes to reintegration. It focuses on prison sports programs, which are typically treated as peripheral or as ineffective for reintegration. The study combined a scoping review, longitudinal participant observation across three prison sites, and 141 semi-structured interviews with 71 respondents, including incarcerated and formerly incarcerated participants, prison and reintegration stakeholders, and broader justice-system stakeholders. Several incarcerated participants were interviewed repeatedly, including after release, adding a longitudinal component to the study. The analysis produced context-mechanism-outcome (CMO) configurations that identified enabling conditions and structural barriers, synthesized into a refined middle-range theory explaining how agency, social connection, and systemic context interact to shape reintegration effectiveness. Findings indicate that sport contributes to reintegration by fostering agency, relational recognition, and connection to the outside world; yet these effects depend on voluntary participation, institutional support, and the absence of structural barriers. While Realist Evaluation explains how outcomes emerge through context-mechanism configurations, the Capability Approach clarifies what should count as meaningful effectiveness, shifting attention from narrow behavioral endpoints (e.g., recidivism) to capability expansion within and beyond carceral settings.