Prisons In England Research Articles

Stigma, Outsider Status and Mothers in Prison

Drawing on Elias’s work on established-outsider figurations, stigmatisation and the civilising process, this study explores the narratives of women, who are mothers of children under the age of 18 years old, in one female prison in England, United Kingdom. We conducted 31 in-depth interviews as well as three focus groups with 26 different women, exploring their experiences of being an imprisoned mother as well as staying in contact with their children from prison. Moreover, we interviewed 15 members of staff. Our findings highlight the stigmatised ‘outsider’ nature that is ascribed to mothers in prison which is reinforced by the prison environment and figurations between mothers and prison staff. By highlighting the stigmatised and outsider positioning of mothers in prison, this research has significance for practice and policy. Improving support for imprisoned mothers and the development of non-stigmatising, more inclusive, compassionate institutions and compassionate responses are thus required.

The mental wellbeing of prison staff in England during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

COVID-19 is likely to have had an impact on the mental wellbeing of prison staff because of the high risk for infectious disease outbreaks in prisons and the pre-existing high burden of mental health issues among staff. A cross-sectional study of staff within 26 prisons in England was carried out between 20th July 2020 and 2nd October 2020. Mental wellbeing was measured using the Short-version of Warwick-Edinburgh Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWBS). Staff wellbeing was compared to that of the English population using indirectly standardised data from the Health Survey for England 2010-13 and a one-sample t-test. Multivariate linear regression modelling explored associations with mental wellbeing score. Two thousand five hundred and thirty-four individuals were included (response rate 22.2%). The mean age was 44 years, 53% were female, and 93% were white. The sample mean SWEMWBS score was 23.84 and the standardised population mean score was 23.57. The difference in means was statistically significant (95% CI 0.09-0.46), but not of a clinically meaningful level. The multivariate linear regression model was adjusted for age category, sex, ethnicity, smoking status, occupation, and prison service region. Higher wellbeing was significantly associated with older age, male sex, Black/Black British ethnicity, never having smoked, working within the health staff team, and working in certain prison regions. Unexpectedly, prison staff wellbeing as measured by SWEMWBS was similar to that of the general population. Reasons for this are unclear but could include the reduction in violence within prisons since the start of the pandemic. Qualitative research across a diverse sample of prison settings would enrich understanding of staff wellbeing within the pandemic.

The identification of synthetic cannabinoids in English prisons

Synthetic cannabinoids (SC) are extremely prevalent within the prison system and cause problems for prisoners, law enforcement and health services. SC are often soaked into paper then posted into prisons therefore one of the aims of this research is to collaborate with Rapiscan Systems Ltd. and local prisons in England to measure the effectiveness of trace detection methods for the indication of SC in prison post using the Itemiser 3E®. To ensure compounds did not go undetected, samples with Ion Trap Mobility Spectrometry™ peaks indicative of synthetic cannabinoids on the Itemiser 3E® were analysed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy to identify chemical characteristics which allowed comparison to reference spectra. Sample data spanning three years from one prison’s Itemiser 3E® were collated to identify trends in drug prevalence and the influence of library updates. To date, the method has identified four compounds: 5F‐MDMB‐PICA, MMB-4en-PICA, 4F‐MDMB‐BUTINACA and MDMB-4en-PINACA on prison post which were not already included on, or needed confirmatory analysis to update, the Itemiser 3E® library. As a result, the libraries on prison Itemiser 3E®s have been updated to ensure future detection of such compounds. Trends and influences from the processed Itemiser 3E® data were also reported back to the West Midlands Prison Group. This research directly benefitted both the West Midlands Prison Group and Rapiscan Systems Ltd. and it is anticipated that the continuation of this research could be expanded to a national scale.

The risk matrix: Drug-related deaths in prisons in England and Wales, 2015-2020.

This article explores the factors contributing to drug-related deaths in English and Welsh prisons between 2015 and 2020. Based on content analysis of all Prison and Probation Ombudsman 'other non-natural' fatal incident investigation reports, descriptive statistics were generated. Qualitative analysis explored the circumstances surrounding deaths and key risk factors. Most deaths were of men, whose mean age was 39 years. Drug toxicity was the main factor in causing death, exacerbated by underlying physical health conditions and risk-taking behaviours. A variety of substances were involved. New psychoactive substances became more important over time. A high proportion had recorded histories of substance use and mental illness. During this period, the prison system was under considerable stress creating dangerous environments for drug-related harm. This study highlights the process of complex interaction between substances used, individual characteristics, situational features and the wider environment in explaining drug-related deaths in prisons. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Student perspectives on creating a positive classroom dynamic: science education in prison

Detailed student perspectives on their involvement in prison education are limited in published literature, yet such contributions are invaluable to education practitioners wanting to create inclusive learning environments. This article focuses on the student experience of taking part in a science outreach programme teaching science in prison in England, which was designed to build confidence in students who face challenges in accessing education pathways. Here, former students share their experiences of the programme, as well as other education courses in prison, and offer guidance on best practices for those engaging in outreach or research with the prison population. In particular, their reflections highlight that by creating and maintaining an environment that is accessible, inclusive and relatable, students from all backgrounds are able to engage in course content, and overcome hidden barriers to accessing education. Furthermore, based on their lived experience, the students offer practical advice with regard to improving future access to education in prison. The aim of this article is to give a voice to students in prison about their education experience, highlighting which aspects of this outreach programme (and other education courses) were impactful for them.

Disrupting prison managerialism: Managing prisons in an age of pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic swept across the world in 2020, having widespread and dramatic impacts on social life. Prisons in England and Wales implemented a lock down regime for public health purposes that suppressed the spread of coronavirus but continues to have an impact on the quality of life for prisoners. This article is based on a small-scale ethnographic study of prison managers in an English prison. This builds upon studies that have documented the experiences of prison managers in England during 21st century. These studies have illustrated that prior to the pandemic, prison management was dominated by the neoliberal practices of managerialism, including an architecture of surveillance through targets, audits and inspections and the nurturing of a more compliant professional culture. The pandemic disrupted managerialism and initially saw the total dismantling of the system of monitoring and an altered relationship between the central and local levels of the organisation. Managers had to operate with greater agency and developed a stronger sense of place, focussing on the internal and local community. As the threat from the pandemic receded, there was a process of ‘managerial clawback’ with the re-establishing of the managerial architecture and a general acceptance of managerialism as a ‘return to normality’ in prisons. Yet this process was incomplete as the pandemic left complex problems including the best way to operate prison regimes that balanced ongoing health risks, maintaining order and offering constructive activity. These complex problems could not be resolved through centralised managerialism and instead required localised initiative. The pandemic had disrupted managerialism and although the architecture had largely been re-established intact, space had been created for greater autonomy in responding to the legacy. The emerging ‘new normal’ is therefore a mixed managerial economy in prison that navigates a path between managerial control and local autonomy.

‘It causes a lot of problems’: Relational ambiguities and dynamics between prisoners and staff in a women's prison

Staff–prisoner relationships have long been recognised as lying ‘at the heart of the whole prison system’ (Home Office, 1984: para. 16; Liebling, 2011). However, relatively few accounts of women's imprisonment have focussed on staff–prisoner relationships specifically, whether describing their terms and dynamics or relating their characteristics to broader ideas of power, trust or legitimacy. In this article, based on semi-ethnographic fieldwork in a women's prison in England, we seek to do something of both, analysing the emotional and relational complexity of staff–prisoner relationships in the context of women's life histories, and the ways that they intersect with flows of penal power and powerlessness. The article illuminates the complexity and emotional intensity of these relationships, first, by outlining their core features, as described by female prisoners – blurred boundaries, infantilisation, pettiness, inconsistency and favouritism – and then by seeking to explain the complex entanglements of power and dependence that result. These explanations include the relative powerlessness and vulnerability of women in prison, their biographical experiences of abuse and trauma, and a tendency for uniformed staff to be somewhat careless in their use of power, while seeking to build close and supportive relationships with prisoners and engaging in forms of benign paternalism. The article concludes that women's prisons represent a challenge to models of penal order, authority and legitimacy precisely because of the relational nature of the flow of power that tends to characterise them.

Gambling and crime: An exploration of gambling availability and culture in an English prison.

There is evidence that prisoners have the highest rate of problem gambling in any population, but little is known about the nature of in-prison gambling, the motives for it or how it relates to prior gambling behaviour. To investigate the prevalence and type of gambling prior to prison and the prevalence, type, and reasons for gambling in prison. Two hundred and eighty-two male volunteers in a Category B male prison in England completed a questionnaire which included the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). One hundred and twenty-six (45%) reported gambling in prison, with eighty-one (30%) of participants reporting that gambling was a normal part of prison life. Pre-prison behaviour, whether type of index offence or prior gambling, had little relationship to in-prison gambling. Frequency of gambling in prison increased with increasing PGSI risk category. The most common types of gambling in prison were card/dice games, sports and ball games, while the most common motives were entertainment, excitement or sense of challenge and to win prizes, with significant differences in motive between PGSI risk categories. Prison canteen items formed the most common currency gambled. People within the higher PGSI risk category were more likely to have borrowed items from other prisoners. Our research has added to existing literature by identifying high rates of gambling in prison and showing that prisoners' perceptions of gambling are as a normal part of prison life. Findings suggest that screening and support should be available to manage gambling in prison, including support to reduce gambling-related debt, particularly given associations between debt and violence in prison. Relief from boredom and need for excitement were among the most common reasons for gambling in prison, indicating that there is a need to provide a more appropriately stimulating prison environment.

Testing for COVID-19 during an outbreak within a large UK prison: an evaluation of mass testing to inform outbreak control

ObjectivesThe aim of this paper was to describe the results of mass asymptomatic testing for COVID-19 in a male prison in England following the declaration of an outbreak. It provides novel data on the implementation of a mass testing regime within a prison during the pandemic. MethodsThe paper is an observational evaluation of the mass testing conducted for 6 months following the declaration of a COVID-19 outbreak within a prison. It investigated the incidence of positive cases in both staff and residents using polymerase chain reaction testing. ResultsData from October 2020 until March 2021 was included. A total of 2170 tests were performed by 851 residents and 182 staff members; uptake was 48.3% for people living in prison and 30.4% for staff. Overall test positivity was 11.6% (14.3% for residents, 3.0% for staff), with around one-quarter of these reporting symptoms. The prison wing handling new admissions reported the second-lowest positivity rate (9.4%) of the eight wings. ConclusionMass testing for COVID-19 over a short space of time can lead to rapid identification of additional cases, particularly asymptomatic cases. Testing that relies on residents and staff reporting symptoms will underestimate the true extent of transmission and will likely lead to a prolonged outbreak.

Investigating trial spaces: Thinking through legal spatiality beyond the court

AbstractThis paper examines how the spaces through which legal trials take place shape attitudes towards justice. There has been a growing academic interest in the role of courts in configuring the relationships between trial participants and consequently reproducing pre‐established hierarchies of power. This paper builds on this work to consider the spatiality of trials from the perspective of a particular group of court users: defendants. Drawing on qualitative data drawn from a longitudinal study conducted in prisons in England and Wales, the paper examines how defendants perceive trial spaces, exploring in particular how such insights expand beyond the narrow focus on the courtroom to draw in experiences of transportation, holding cells, bodily restrictions, and the provision of food. In doing so, we seek to contribute to debates concerning penal consciousness, whereby the subjectivity and embodiment of individual participants illuminate differential experiences of the material and legal nature of trial processes. The paper concludes by emphasising how a focus on penal consciousness can help to address perceptions of the injustice of trial outcomes while improving the accessibility of courts.

Not “proper” foreign national prisoners: Irish ex-prisoner reflections on imprisonment in England and Wales

Irish prisoners are one of the oldest minority groups and one of the most represented foreign national groups in the prison system, yet little is known about their experiences of imprisonment in England and Wales. This article presents findings from 29 semi-structured interviews with Irish ex-prisoners who were asked to reflect on their time in prison in England and Wales. It utilises Ugelvik and Damsa’s findings on foreign national prisoner experiences in Norway as related to discrimination, long-distance relationships, and deportability as a point of analysis. This paper shows that Irish prisoners suffer the pains of discrimination through racism, bullying, and discrimination from prisoners and prison officers, and there are concerns over mistreatment by prison officers who are ex-military. There are also difficulties associated with family contact. As Irish prisoners are not subject to deportation, except in the most exceptional circumstances, and since there is no language barrier, this paper suggests that Irish prisoners might not seen as “proper” foreign nationals in the prison system. This may result in Irish prisoners being somewhat invisible in the prison system in England and Wales and in some cases having their nationality and national identity denied.

Reproductive rights on the inside: A rapid evidence assessment of women’s experiences of reproductive healthcare and rights while in prison in England and Wales  

Reproductive rights on the inside: A rapid evidence assessment of women’s experiences of reproductive healthcare and rights while in prison in England and Wales  

How is Social Care Provided in Adult Prisons in England and Wales?

AbstractThere is variation in provision of social care in prisons. Our research aimed to understand variation across adult prisons in England and Wales, including: (1) what social care is provided? (2) who delivers social care? (3) what peer support initiatives are used? (4) what social care indicators are relevant? and (5) are there differences between prison type and social care provision? We analysed Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) reports (published 2017–2020) from 102 prisons. From these reports we extracted and analysed data on social care provision. Elements of social care are not consistently delivered; need assessments (81.4 per cent) and referrals (75.5 per cent) were most frequently reported. Different providers (health care/social care/prison) deliver social care. Forty-one prisons (40.2 per cent) included peer support (formal to informal). We found no notable differences between prison categories and social care delivery, although, within category D prisons, a significantly larger proportion of those with a disability reported receiving support they needed. Inspection reports highlighted that prison social care should mirror community social care, but we could not fully evaluate this due to reporting issues. Social care provision varies; effectiveness of different models is not yet known. We provide recommendations to improve social care reporting within HMIP reports.

Reproductive rights on the inside: A rapid evidence assessment of women’s experiences of reproductive healthcare and rights while in prison in England and Wales

Despite academic, policy and charity commissioned research giving considerable attention to the health of imprisoned women, significantly less research has considered the reproductive health and rights of this group. This shortfall is noteworthy since women who are imprisoned are often in very vulnerable positions, and so their ongoing healthcare in relation to gynaecology, obstetrics and sexual health and wellbeing, as well as access to such rights, should be a priority. These issues are exacerbated for the high number of women who are repeatedly imprisoned for short sentences. Presenting findings of a rapid evidence assessment, this article highlights the lack of attention to this aspect of imprisoned women’s health and rights, using the limited information available. The article argues that suitable reproductive healthcare needs to be seen as an essential aspect of women’s rights. Furthermore, the current nature of imprisonment in England and Wales results in multiple and frequent rights violations.

Performing well: Male prisoner experiences of drama, dance, singing and puppetry in England

This paper outlines art form impacts used within Staging Time at an adult male sex offender prison in England by drawing on the voices of prisoners (aged 21–75 years), including those with undiagnosed autistic traits. We qualitatively investigate prisoner experiences from drama (n = 11), dance (n = 12), puppetry (n = 7) and singing (n = 15) projects using a theory of change approach. Based on a themed analysis of self-report data from 4 world cafés and 44 follow-up questionnaires, we conclude arts projects positively contribute to health and well-being, forming healthy relationships and prison culture. By applying a desistance theory lens, we argue arts projects provide building blocks towards crime abstinence. Whilst all arts projects improved prisoner well-being, dance had a greater propensity for increasing physical fitness. With a focus on dance impacts, our research widened to stakeholder and practitioner interviews (n = 4), alongside analysis of secondary data from dance performance audience feedback sheets (n = 48) collected by Staging Time. Audience members included prison staff, prisoners, prisoner family members and close friends and a small group of invited stakeholders. Arts projects have wider impacts on staff, other prisoners and family members.

Managing inclusion or preparing for exclusion? A critical examination of gender-responsive management of female Central and Eastern European prisoners in England and Wales

Managing inclusion or preparing for exclusion? A critical examination of gender-responsive management of female Central and Eastern European prisoners in England and Wales

Managing inclusion or preparing for exclusion? A critical examination of gender-responsive management of female Central and Eastern European prisoners in England and Wales

This article examines practitioner understandings and implementation of gender-responsive support within female prisons in England and Wales in the context of a growing emphasis on effective deportation of foreign national prisoners. Drawing on a case study of female prisoners from Central and Eastern states of the European Union (EU), we argue that the aims of gender-responsivity, designed to address women's gendered vulnerabilities to support their re-entry in the UK, are pragmatically re-shaped to accommodate the uncertainty surrounding their immigration status. We show how in practice, gender-responsive support functions at best to ‘manage’ gendered needs of women who are ‘not of interest’ to immigration authorities, and at worst to legitimate exclusion by side-lining vulnerabilities of women deemed as having ‘no right to remain’ in the UK. This occurs in the context of limited access to legal redress to challenge deportation decisions, unevenly spread resources in the female prison estate, and practitioners’ occupational cultures which emphasise paternalistic valuations of female foreign national prisoners’ femininity. We locate the findings in criminological debates about ‘gendering of borders’ and conclude with a reflection on the implications for advocacy at the time of increasingly restrictive immigration controls following the UK's exit from the EU.

Evaluating the impact of a prison smoking ban on the cardiovascular health of men in a UK prison

PurposeSmoking rates are known to be higher amongst those committed to prison than the general population. Those in prison suffer from high rates of comorbidities that are likely to increase their risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), making it more difficult to manage. In 2016, a tobacco ban began to be implemented across prisons in England and Wales, UK. This study aims to measure the effect of the tobacco ban on predicted cardiovascular risk for those quitting smoking on admission to prison.Design/methodology/approachUsing data from a prevalence study of CVD in prisons, the authors have assessed the effect of the tobacco ban on cardiovascular risk, using predicted age to CVD event, ten-year CVD risk and heart age, for those who previously smoked and gave up on admission to prison.FindingsThe results demonstrate measurable health gains across all age groups with the greatest gains found in those aged 50 years and older and who had been heavy smokers. Quitting smoking on admission to prison led to a reduced heart age of between two and seven years for all participants.Originality/valueThe data supports tobacco bans in prisons as a public health measure to reduce risk of CVD. Interventions are needed to encourage maintenance of smoking cessation on release from prison for the full health benefits to be realised.

Progression and parole: The perceived institutional consequences of maintaining innocence in prison in England and Wales

Progression and parole: The perceived institutional consequences of maintaining innocence in prison in England and Wales

Progression and parole: The perceived institutional consequences of maintaining innocence in prison in England and Wales

Drawing on interviews via letter with 64 prisoners maintaining innocence across England and Wales, this article examines the perceived institutional consequences of claiming innocence within the prison environment. A myriad of areas, ranging from everyday living conditions, risk assessment, progression to ultimately parole, are all believed to be impacted by claims of wrongful conviction. As this article illustrates, such a position is often inconsistent with Prison Service Orders and Instructions. These prisoners are thus required to engage and work within a system that is not designed for them and that they believe penalises them as a result of their claims.