An interpretative phenomenological analysis of prisoners’ experience of riotous behaviour in an adult male prison

Abstract

Purpose – Prison violence generates much public interest with concerns for the financial costs, staff safety and public safety. The purpose of this paper is to explore the experience of riotous behaviour from the perspective of prisoners in a maximum secure adult prison. It also seeks gather information and to generate discussion on areas for future research. Design/methodology/approach – A purposive sampling method and in-depth semi-structured interviews were carried out. Interpretative phenomenological analysis identified super ordinate themes and related sub-themes within the participants’ narratives. Emergent themes were then considered in relation to the theories and concepts that underpinned and connected them. Findings – Super ordinate themes emerged centred around the subject of social processing and relationships. Prisoners emphasised the role of prisoner-staff relationships in feeling valued as part of the social structure and considered riotous behaviour the best method of communication at that time. Social comparison highlighted the value they placed in being part of the prisoner culture and the nostalgic nature of the riotous behaviour for them. It lends support to earlier theory on prison adjustment and social psychological explanations for rioting. Research limitations/implications – It is not assumed that the findings of this study can be universally applied given the sample size and the idiosyncratic nature of participants’ experiences. This research may provide greater insight into the motivational factors related to individuals involved in riotous behaviour. With such insight prison staff may be more able to consider whether prisoners’ needs are being sufficiently met to help prevent such behaviour in the future. Practical implications – This research may help inform training on the identification and management of potential riots. With insight into the individual motivational factors prison staff may be more able to consider whether prisoners’ needs are being sufficiently met to help prevent such behaviour in the future. Originality/value – This paper reports on the prisoners’ individual experience of being involved in riotous behaviour. Due to the paucity of literature on this behaviour, this exploratory study is intended to add to existing knowledge.