Prison Officers’ Perceptions of Delivering Trauma-Informed Care in Women’s Prisons

Abstract

ABSTRACT Since 2015, women’s prisons across England have been working toward providing trauma-informed care (TIC) given the high rates of psychological trauma in the prison population. Research into TIC in prisons has been limited to date. This qualitative study explored the perceptions of 35 prison officers from two English women’s prisons about their experiences of providing TIC, including the role of training. Four main themes were identified using thematic analysis: Creating trauma-informed settings was noted as a dynamic process, complicated by prisons being triggering environments for women. Prison officers described attempting to negotiate the power (im)balance between them and women in prison, to allow them to nurture positive relationships with them. Operational practices reportedly regularly undermined these efforts by reinforcing the power differential. Staff also observed variable and limited capacity and opportunities for TIC, further reducing the ability to create settings conducive to TIC. These findings have important implications for women’s prisons, including the need to review and revise TIC training for new and existing staff; prioritize staff well-being and support, and improve recruitment processes to develop a staff group with the aptitude and skill to deliver TIC.