Prison Experience Research Articles

Lived experience to lived experience expertise: embracing lived experience in Australian criminology

ABSTRACT This paper, authored by some individuals with lived experience of the Australian criminal legal-punishment system, serves as a call to action for their recognition and integration within the criminal legal sector. We highlight the importance of acknowledging the deep personal nature of criminal legal-punishment system experiences, which, though potentially traumatic, offer valuable insights for improving social justice outcomes. Through vignettes, we discuss some of the challenges of integrating lived experiences into professional roles within the criminal legal-punishment system. Ultimately, by drawing from our own experiences, we argue for the meaningful involvement of individuals with lived prison experience in relevant Australian conversations and decisions. We emphasise that in Australia, lived experience should be seen as an expert contribution to the field of criminology, advocating for a more inclusive and participatory approach in policy and academic discourse.

‘I was in a Jail within a Jail’: Prisoner's Experiences of Segregation within the Scottish Prison Service

Segregation in prison is a highly researched area worldwide, however, gaps remain about the experience of individuals who reside in these units. This study was the first of its kind in the Scottish prison service (SPS). The study was exploratory, completed over two stages and used a mixed method observational design. In stage one, questionnaires were distributed to incarcerated males across eight prisons in the SPS. Questionnaires asked why participants were segregated, how they spent their time and how it felt. Responses ( n = 151) indicated participants used the segregation and reintegration unit (SRU) on multiple occasions and for significant periods of time. Participants spent their time thinking, watching TV, listening to music, and reading; few engaged in education. Most attributed negative emotions to their time in segregation, however, others felt happy ( n = 43, 29%), relieved ( n = 26, 17%), and safe ( n = 34, 23%). Responses informed the interview schedule in stage two. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven prisoners exploring their experiences of segregation, their routine, access to services/support and their views on what could be improved. Thematic analysis was employed. Interviews identified three overarching themes: impact of segregation on mental health, services and support, and reintegration.

Rapid Review of Literature Reporting the Experience of Patient and Public Involvement in Prison and Forensic Mental Health Research.

Health research authorities around the world are increasingly committed to embedding public involvement in health and social care research. However, such involvement in internationally published prison and forensic mental health research remains rare. It is therefore particularly important to understand how people are experiencing collaborative research in this field, barriers they may encounter and how these might be overcome. The aim of this review is to explore how academic, practitioner and lived-experience researchers have experienced collaborating on prison and forensic mental health research since a previous review of the topic in 2016. A rapid review of literature was completed by searching three databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsycINFO) between 2016 and July 2023 in addition to Google and Google Scholar searches and hand searching the reference lists of all screened-in documents. We used Reflexive Thematic Analysis to review the screened-in papers. We had lived-experience involvement in this study, which is outlined in our Supporting Information. The database search returned 733 unique articles. Internet searches revealed 10 potentially relevant documents. 20 documents were eligible for inclusion; 15 journal articles, three book chapters, a whole book and a PhD thesis. In the analysis, four overarching themes were developed: the positive psychological impact on lived-experience researchers; it is interpersonally, emotionally and practically challenging; facilitators of the collaborative research process; and positive impact of involvement on the research. Our findings build on the previous review by providing evidence that collaborating on research can have a positive psychological impact on people with lived experience in this setting. It also documents further challenges that are unique to the forensic setting. There was minimal reporting of the experiences of forensic mental health patients involved in research; most included documents focused the experiences of current or former prisoners. Further studies in the topic area are still needed, which utilise a research method to analyse the experiences of conducting collaborative research.

"See Me as Human:" Reflections on an Experiential Curriculum Led by People With Lived Experience of Incarceration.

Improving physical and mental healthcare delivery to incarcerated patients and people with carceral histories provides an opportunity to improve health equity more broadly. This article provides a medical curriculum perspective led by the firsthand narratives of two women with lived expertise of incarceration in collaboration with interdisciplinary health professions students and faculty. Together we state that recognizing the humanity of individuals with carceral involvement precedes the ability to provide ethical or equitable healthcare: this humanity begins with students and the community sharing places and spaces together. We herein detail our experiences in honoring community educators with lived expertise of incarceration while pioneering a grant-funded, interdisciplinary medical education event offering early exposure to experiential learning in hopes of preparing future clinicians to transcend the status quo of substandard care through individual-level and systems-level advocacy. By sharing humanity and building relationships directly with community experts, we endeavor to offer future clinicians the relational framework to inform their advocacy efforts to improve healthcare systems from the bottom up throughout their clinical training and lifelong careers. Most importantly, we highlight the reasons why we believe medical curricula aiming to dismantle inequities facing people with carceral histories must be taught alongside those with lived expertise.

The Experience of Prisoners with Serious Mental Disorders Participating in a Dog-Assisted Therapy Program: A Qualitative Study

(1) Background: This study investigates the experiences of prisoners with serious mental disorders who participated in a two-month dog-assisted therapy program within a Spanish prison. The aim was to understand the emotional and psychosocial impacts of the program on this population. (2) Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was used with purposeful sampling of sixteen prisoners (mean age 43.4) who completed the program. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis to identify key themes. (3) Results: Participants reported a positive emotional impact, highlighting the significance of bonding, love, and reciprocal affection with the therapy dog. They emphasized the dog’s unconditional nature as a source of comfort and connection. The importance of supportive relationships with the therapists who guided the sessions was also noted. Additionally, participants reflected on their motivations for joining the program and described progressive emotional changes over the course of their participation. (4) Conclusions: Dog-assisted therapy shows potential as a psychosocial intervention to enhance the prison experience for individuals with serious mental disorders. By fostering emotional well-being and positive connections, it may contribute to improved rehabilitation outcomes and better quality of life for this population.

A Collaborative Stakeholder Approach for Reducing the Use of Custodial Restraints in Hospitalized Patients.

In hospitals across the country, most patients admitted from jails or prisons receive their care in custodial restraints regardless of clinical concerns or public safety risk. Blanket restraint protocols are deemed necessary for public safety; however, the indiscriminate use of custodial restraints causes harm to patients physically, mentally, and through propagation of prejudice. Hospitals and correctional officials must create policies that allow for a case-by-case analysis of patients to develop an individualized custodial restraint plan that will balance public safety and patient care needs. In this Viewpoint, we recommend a collaborative stakeholder approach to address this needed public policy evolution. Now is the time for health care professionals, correctional and hospital administrators, those with lived incarceration experience, and community members to work together to create policies on custodial restraints that support patient healing and reduce physical harm, emotional distress, and prejudice while optimizing staff and public safety.

Abortion and contraception within prison health care: a qualitative study

BackgroundAlthough abortion was completely decriminalized in Canada 36 years ago, barriers to pregnancy prevention and termination persist across the country, such as travel and information gaps. Research demonstrates incarcerated people face barriers to family planning care, yet there is no systematic data collection of sexual and reproductive health experiences and outcomes among incarcerated people in Canada. The aim of this study was to explore family planning care experiences among women and gender diverse people who have experienced incarceration in Canada.MethodsWe conducted a qualitative community-based research study using focus groups for data collection and reflexive thematic analysis to generate key themes. Our study team included members with lived experience of incarceration. We conducted recruitment in partnership with community organizations. We asked about accessing abortion and contraception while incarcerated and on release.ResultsWe conducted six focus groups with 35 recently incarcerated participants. Five themes emerged: (1) Competing health needs; (2) Institutional barriers to care; (3) Mistreatment and unethical care; (4) Health knowledge gaps; and (5) Challenges to care-seeking in community.ConclusionPeople in prison experience concurrent unmet health needs that crowd out sexual and reproductive health. Prison procedures and perceived unethical professional behaviours impinge care-seeking. Information about abortion and contraception is not readily available in prison. Barriers to care persist upon release. Family planning professionals may improve care for people who experience incarceration by recognizing concurrent mental health needs; anticipating impact of prior negative experiences on care-seeking; challenging limitations to health education in prison; and addressing post-release challenges for patients.

Carceral anaesthesia: numbing the pains of living, working and researching in prison

ABSTRACT Drawing on emerging scholarship in sensory and affective geographies, this paper introduces the concept of ‘carceral anaesthesia’ to describe the strategic numbing or dampening of emotions and sensory perceptions as a form of resistance by people living, working and researching in the prison environment. Through the use of creative non-fiction vignettes – or ‘anaesthetic encounters’ – based on almost a decade of fieldwork conducted in UK prisons, the paper illustrates how individuals navigate the vibrancy and sensory overload of prison life by employing various forms of emotional anaesthesia. These narratives serve to deepen our understanding of the prison experience, revealing a bilateral power dynamic where anaesthesia can be both a product of the carceral environment and a coping mechanism within it. As well as broadening the scope of anaesthetic geographies, this study contributes further understanding of the emotional and psychological dimensions of incarceration, highlighting the dangerous effects of sensory experiences on those who live, work and research within these spaces, thereby offering discussions about the impact of such anaesthesia upon both the everyday lived experience of incarcerated persons and for the future of meaningful action in the prison system more broadly.

Exploring the value of queer archives in queer criminology: Interrogating narratives of incarceration and offending

This article explores the potential of queer archival material to disrupt and nuance dominant criminological narratives on a range of criminal justice-related issues in the lives of queer people. It does so in two contexts: regarding narratives focused on queer experiences of incarceration; and narratives focused on queer offending. Research on queer experiences of incarceration suggests that queer people are particularly at risk of homophobic and transphobic abuse and assault in prison, and that they must repress their sexuality and gender in prison. And research on queer pathways to offending highlights the interconnections between criminal justice contact, offending, and forms of inequality that characterise queer lives, positioning queer offending as largely driven by those inequalities and their resulting harms. By engaging with a unique collection of queer archival materials, specifically the correspondence of incarcerated queer people, this article queers those dominant narratives. It does so by paying particular attention to the experiences of the only transgender correspondent in this collection. That person’s experiences very clearly illustrate the complex intersections between queer lives and criminal justice and the subsequent need to queer the dominant narratives in this space. Additionally, their experiences illuminate how archival materials in queer criminology foster the emergence of complexity and nuance in our analyses and offer new directions for queer political reform and activism in crime and justice contexts.

Narratives of incarcerated women in a Prison in Malawi: a qualitative study

BackgroundIn Malawi, women in prisons make up 2.7% of the total prison population. However, the experiences of women incarcerated are not well documented in the literature. We aim to describe the experiences of women incarcerated in a Malawian prison facility. We will concentrate on the qualitative findings that highlight the unique perspectives of these women, including those in which they are imprisoned alongside their children, as well as the larger implications for child welfare and prison policy.MethodsA qualitative approach using descriptive study design was used to explore the experiences of incarcerated women in prisons in Malawi. In-depth interviews were conducted with seven incarcerated women (n = 7). The interviews followed a semi-structured interview guide, and the data were analyzed manually using thematic analysis.ResultsThe following four themes emerged from the data: the burden of conviction, prison as a traumatic environment, health insecurity and perceptions regarding release from prison. Participants reported that being convicted caused significant psychosocial stress. The incarcerated women stated that they are subjected to inhumane and degrading treatment. The prison conditions are poor. The nutrition is inadequate for both incarcerated women and their children. Incarcerated women look forward to their release, citing that they have been transformed and are optimistic about their new lives. Prison living made them calmer and more patient. Others express concern that the stigma of incarceration will inhibit their ability to reconnect with the community upon release.ConclusionUnderstanding women’s experiences in Malawian prisons can inform policy and improve standards of living for incarcerated women in Malawian prisons.

Opioid toxicity deaths in Indigenous people who experienced incarceration in Ontario, Canada 2015-2020: A whole population retrospective cohort study

While Indigenous people are overrepresented in Canada's prisons and in the toxic drug supply crisis, we lack data on the harms related to opioids for Indigenous people with experiences of incarceration. We aimed to examine opioid toxicity deaths in Indigenous peoples who experienced incarceration and to compare opioid toxicity mortality rates with rates for people with no incarceration. This retrospective cohort study linked correctional data for all people who were incarcerated in provincial correctional facilities and coronial data for all people who died from opioid toxicity in Ontario, Canada between 2015 and 2020. We calculated opioid mortality rates for Indigenous people who experienced incarceration and for people who did not experience incarceration using publicly available population data and calculated age-standardized mortality rates for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people who experienced incarceration compared with people who did not experience incarceration. Of 14,885 Indigenous people who experienced incarceration, 2% (N=242) died from opioid toxicity in custody or post-release, representing 2.9% of all opioid toxicity deaths in Ontario during this period. The crude opioid toxicity mortality rate per 100 person-years was 0.53 for Indigenous females and 0.36 for Indigenous males who experienced incarceration, compared with 0.0060 for females and 0.0132 for males who did not experience incarceration. Rates of opioid toxicity death were highest in the month post-release for Indigenous people who experienced incarceration, at 1.13 per 100 person-years. Standardized for age and compared with people with no incarceration, the mortality ratio was 81.0 (95% CI 62.1-100.0) for Indigenous females who experienced incarceration and 23.6 (95% CI 20.1-27.1) for Indigenous males who experienced incarceration. The SMRs for Indigenous and non-Indigenous females who experienced incarceration were not significantly different, at 81.0 compared with 76.4, and were significantly different for Indigenous and non-Indigenous males who experienced incarceration, at 23.6 compared with 28.5. This whole-population study identified a substantial and inequitable burden of opioid toxicity death for Indigenous people who experienced incarceration, similar to the burden for non-Indigenous people who experienced incarceration. The large burden is particularly concerning in the context of the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in correctional facilities. Focus is warranted to prevent substance use harms for Indigenous people, including through community- and custody-based interventions to support health. Canadian Institutes of Health Research through the Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse (SMN-139150 and REN-181677).

"No penalties. No arrests. No jails": Perspectives on drug decriminalization among people who inject drugs in Sydney.

The decriminalization of drug possession in varied forms is gaining some traction around the world. Yet prospects for people with lived and living experience of drug use to influence the direction of drug law and policy reform remains bound by stigma and exclusion. This study considers the aspirations for decriminalization of people who inject drugs through 20 semi-structured qualitative interviews with the clients of the Sydney injecting centre. What does decriminalization mean for those most criminalised by drug law and policy? The study found that participants' views of what is possible for decriminalization are mediated by the same structures and experiences of criminalization, incarceration and exclusion that has disrupted their lives. Participants anticipate the need to mobilise incremental and partial changes associated with de facto models, including fines, increased police discretion (and therefore power) and treatment orders. At the same time, participants collective imaginary also exceeds the limits of a police-controlled depenalization. We document people's claims on a future drug policy that speaks to a world without criminal drug offences, punitive controls and the exclusion of people who use drugs from the policy table.

THE GROWING STRENGTH OF THE ARCH NETWORK: INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATIONS ACROSS INSTITUTIONS AND PRISON WALLS

Abstract The ARCH network has intentionally brought together scholars from different disciplines, clinicians, lawyers, policy makers, advocates, and people with lived experience of incarceration from institutions around the globe. Too often, individuals interested in using research to advance our understanding of health and seek change in policy and practice are siloed, working independently and without the benefits of inter-professional collaboration. Importantly, most health-focused research about incarceration has been conducted at a distance, without directly engaging those who are incarcerated in the formulation of studies, analysis and interpretation, or the dissemination of findings. Given this history, members of the ARCH network conducted community-based research with people with lived experience of incarceration, their loved ones, and their healthcare providers to both identify priorities for aging research and identity barriers and facilitators to collaborating in research. We will describe how the ARCH network has created new possibilities for and understandings of collaborative research across prison walls and speak to some of the emerging research from the network. In particular, we will highlight the policy advancements, practice interventions, and community resources that have emerged from health-equity focused, collaborative, aging research on incarceration.

Narrative Study of Contemporary Greek "Big Wall Literature" Under Debt Crisis

The outbreak of the debt crisis in 2009 intensified the social contradictions in contemporary Greece, with frequent occurrences of anarchist movements and vicious social security cases. After the bank robbery in Paros, anarchist Tasos Theofilou was wrongly arrested by the antiterrorist police and imprisoned for nearly five years. After his dismissal, he wrote about his experiences in prison and made them public. The Thirty-Two Steps and other realistic works expose the judicial dark curtain of contemporary Greek jails, with the author's personal experience of the "big wall" in the background, emphasizing the extreme state and sharp contradiction of the prison that he witnessed when he was detained, convicted and served. This paper analyzes the literary narrative style of the unjust prison experience from the aspects of the literary narrative source, writing technique thought expression and explores the connotation behind the Greek "Big Wall Literature" through his works. Although the authorities claim that the debt crisis has been relieved, Theofilou's tragic narrative works still reflect his reflections on the judicial society, the source of Western politics, under the shadow of the crisis.

Ambiguous loss: The experiences of remand prisoners’ loved ones

Remand remains a particularly punitive and painful form of incarceration for prisoners, as well as their loved ones on the outside attempting to provide support. Drawing on in-depth qualitative data collected from 61 loved ones’ supporting remanded prisoners in England and Wales, this article examines how the ambiguity and unknowns associated with this form of incarceration is particularly painful. Through the unique application of Boss’s theory of Ambiguous Loss, this article contributes new knowledge about the nature, scope and resilience shown by loved ones supporting remanded prisoners, indicating where future research and policy should be focused.

“What Made Me Change”: Transformative Experiences in the Jihadist Radicalization Process

ABSTRACT Disentangling the roots of radicalization leading to violence is a worldwide challenge. Unfortunately, empirical data are scarce. Through fieldwork conducting interviews with Muslim persons deprived of liberty (PDL) in Spanish prisons, this research examines transformative experiences that may have influenced radicalization leading to violence from the 3N model and the life-course perspective lenses. PDL because of jihadist terrorism (n = 30), common criminals who carry out proselytizing work (n = 22), and non-radicals (control group, n = 64) were asked about the turning point in their lives. Their responses were coded into exclusive thematic categories following an inductive-deductive mixed approach. Jihadists and proselytizers identified experiences linking their personal identity to religion—ideological ties—as a transformative point that provided them purpose and sparked the desire for leaving their criminal lifestyle behind. Also, proselytizers referred to family-related experiences—familial ties—as a turning point which also prompted them to criminal desistance, whereas this was not mentioned by jihadists. All groups had in common the experience of incarceration as a major turning point and a moderate level of self-reported religiosity. Overall, these findings contribute to the understanding and prevention of jihadist radicalization.

Understanding Perceptions of Hepatitis C and Its Management Among People with Experience of Incarceration in Quebec, Canada: A Qualitative Study Guided by the Common Sense Self-Regulation Model.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) disproportionately affects certain sub-populations, including people with experience of incarceration (PWEI). Little is known about how perceptions of HCV and treatment have changed despite simplifications in testing and treatment in carceral settings. Nineteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with people living with or having a history of HCV infection released from Quebec provincial prison. Interviews were guided by the Common Sense Self-Regulation Model (CS-SRM) and aimed to explore cognitive and emotional representations of HCV and coping strategies. Among the 19 participants, seven (37%) were diagnosed with HCV in prison and 14 (74%) had previously received HCV treatment. Participants' HCV illness perceptions were influenced by fear (of HCV transmission, death, and the well-being of family) and stigma (related to HCV, injection drug use, and incarceration). While some sought education and social and professional support, others self-isolated or engaged in high-risk behaviors to cope. Despite advances in HCV treatment, PWEI continue to experience various forms of stigma and fear surrounding their HCV diagnosis, resulting in delayed HCV care. These findings provide insights into how prison-based healthcare providers can better utilize HCV illness perceptions to evaluate willingness to engage in HCV care among PWEI.

"When you've been living in darkness, the light suddenly becomes frightening" - prisoners' experiences of health promotion in a Norwegian prison.

A settings-based approach to health promotion emphasizes everyday environments in shaping health. Prisons are, therefore, potentially important arenas for health promotion. However, the inherent restriction of prisoner agency presents a fundamental challenge in this regard. There is a gap in qualitative research on prisoners' perspectives on health-related topics and a need for greater understanding of health promotion within prisons. This study aims to explore male prisoners' experiences of a Norwegian low-security prison as a setting for health promotion. This study was conducted in Forest Prison, a Norwegian low-security facility for 125 male prisoners. The prison offers various amenities and activities to prepare inmates for reintegration into society. The research used semi-structured interviews with 20 diverse prisoners. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using Gale et al.'s framework method. This study revealed varied prisoner perspectives on Forest Prison as a setting for health promotion. In prisoners' talk, the importance of agency was evident. Restricted agency triggered negative emotions and distrust, while extended agency fostered trust and wellbeing. Although Forest Prison provides a considerable degree of agency, some prisoners did not fully benefit from this agentic context because of disparities in resources. Initiatives across three areas of action will strengthen Forest Prison as a setting for health promotion: extending agency, empowering prisoners and developing a prison culture with positive social relationships, effective communication and information flow. The findings of this study provide theoretical insights beyond the specific context, which can serve as a basis for developing prisons as health promoting settings.

Randomized controlled trial of a pilot PrEP linkage intervention for individuals leaving incarceration in a southern state: Design and baseline characteristics.

We report baseline characteristics of a pilot intervention, PrEP-Link, which uses a community health worker (CHW) model to provide navigation to PrEP, the daily HIV preventative medication, and other medical and social services upon release from incarceration. This pilot study uses a randomized controlled trial design. The control group receives enhanced standard of care, and the intervention receives enhanced standard of care plus personalized navigation services from the CHW for up to one year. PrEP-Link is modeled after the Transitions Clinic Program, where a CHW who has lived experience of incarceration builds close relationships with individuals and community partners. After COVID-19 restrictions prevented recruitment within local jails, recruitment for this study took place in local reentry centers which house individuals as they near completion of their jail or prison sentence. Data are collected at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Planning and reporting was guided by the CONSORT 2010 checklist. We enrolled 80 participants between September 2021 and April 2023. Thirty-nine participants were assigned to the control group and forty-one to the intervention group. Data collected at baseline included measures of PrEP usage, HIV risk, drug and alcohol use, healthcare usage, and history of incarceration. Analysis of baseline characteristics show comparability of both demographic and HIV-related risk factors between the two arms. At baseline, participants had high clinical indication for potential PrEP benefit, particularly with respect to self-reported intravenous drug use and condomless sex. Participants responded with high PrEP acceptability within both study arms. Participants reported low preventative healthcare utilization at baseline. Barriers to accessing PrEP among the study population are significant. Results of this pilot RTC will help inform CHW lead PrEP-linkage interventions for people leaving incarceration.

Incarceration and Addiction: Women’s Lived Experiences of Deprivation

Aims: This research examined the incarceration experiences of adult women with histories of drug addiction, aiming to fill knowledge gaps regarding how these women subjectively interpret their incarceration experiences. Methodology: In-depth interviews were conducted with 22 formerly incarcerated women from the Northeast and Midwest United States. A phenomenological approach was used to explore the meaning of incarceration for the participants, with the deprivation model of imprisonment guiding the analysis. Findings: Women with drug addiction reported being treated differently while incarcerated because of their addiction. They experienced a lack of physical and psychosocial security, limited autonomy in health-related decisions, and diminished freedom to act and express themselves, often as a result of their mental health and drug addiction issues. Additionally, they experienced a loss of identity, stigma, and internalized stigma due to the way they were treated in prison. Conclusions: Incarceration is a critical life event that deprives women of many basic human needs, shaping their health, self-perception, and understanding of the criminal justice system. Further research is necessary to explore how the experience of incarceration impacts women’s mental health, drug addiction recovery, and overall well-being.