In the literature, group singing has been highlighted as a community music practice that strengthens social bonds and improves the quality of life of participants, especially in socially marginalised environments such as Detention Centres (Cohen & Duncan, 2022). Since the 19th century until the present day, it has been implemented in the Western penal system, either as a way of moral reform or as a practice, focused on social reintegration and the development of linguistic and social skills that lead to the transformation of previous, non-functional perceptions (Cohen, 2012· Farmaki & Akoyunoglou, 2024· Roma, 2010· Silber, 2005). The purpose of the research was to reflect on the operation of a singing group, which was set up in a Second Chance School, within a Men's Detention Centre of the Region of Thessaly. Specifically, this was an intervention designed and implemented to explore the question: What was the lived experience, and how did participants evaluate their involvement in the singing group? The group consisted of 15 students of the Second Chance School who voluntarily agreed to participate, with 12 taking part in the semi-structured interview process. This was a qualitative case study that lasted 9 months. Data were collected from three focus groups, audio recordings of the meetings, individual semi-structured interviews and the researcher's diary. From the inductive thematic analysis, the following five thematic categories emerged: a) enhancing social skills, b) the pedagogical dimension of the music group, c) redefining previous negative educational experiences, d) changing mental mood through group singing, and e) a number of factors that hinder group action. The findings converge to highlight group singing as a practice of empowerment and education in criminal justice settings, while their combination advocates for further research on its use as a tool for promoting social justice and raising awareness among the wider public.

• Inclusion, marginalization, bullying and exclusion
• Music education for social justice and equality
• Meaningful musical experiences
• Music and communities

Efpraxia (Efi) Farmaki was born in Larissa. She is a PhD candidate of the Department of Music Studies of the Ionian University and a graduate of the Departments of Music Studies and Economics of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She obtained her Diploma in Piano with a 10 cum laude and her Diploma in Fugue with honors from the Macedonian Conservatory of Thessaloniki. She has worked for many years as a music teacher in primary and secondary education and as a teacher of piano and higher theory in music schools, conservatories, as well as in the Elassona Music Association 'MusicArte', of which she is a founding member. She has participated as a lecturer in scientific conferences, she is a choir pianist and since 2016 she has been the pedagogical supervisor of the 'BabymusicArte', music development classes for infants and toddlers in Elassona and Larissa.