Prison Regulation, for Safer Societies: Participatory, Effective, Efficient?

Lead Research Organisation: University of Nottingham
Department Name: Sch of Sociology & Social Policy

Abstract

In May 2019, Dutch courts refused to deport an English suspected drug smuggler, citing the potential for inhuman and degrading treatment at HMP Liverpool. This well publicised judgment illustrates the necessity of my FLF: reconceptualising prison regulation, for safer societies. It seeks to save lives and money, and reduce criminal reoffending.

Over 10.74 million people are imprisoned globally. The growing transnational significance of detention regulation was signalled by the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention against Torture/OPCAT. Its 89 signatories, including the UK, must regularly examine treatment and conditions. The quality of prison life affects criminal reoffending rates, so the consequences of unsafe prisons are absorbed by our societies. Prison regulation is more urgent than ever. England and Wales' prisons are now less safe than at any point in recorded history, containing almost 83,000 prisoners: virtually all of whom will be released at some point. In 2016, record prison suicides harmed prisoners, staff and bereaved families, draining ~£385 million from public funds. Record prisoner self-harm was seen in 2017, then again in 2018. Criminal reoffending costs £15 billion annually. Deteriorating prison safety poses a major moral, social, economic and public health threat, attracting growing recognition.

Reconceptualising prison regulation is a difficult multidisciplinary challenge. Regulation includes any activity seeking to steer events in prisons. Effective prison regulation demands academic innovation and sustained collaboration and implementation with practitioners from different sectors (e.g. public, voluntary), regulators, policymakers, and prisoners: from local to (trans)national levels. Citizen participation has become central to realising more democratic, sustainable public services but is not well integrated across theory-policy-practice. I will coproduce prison regulation with partners, including the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, voluntary organisations Safe Ground and the Prison Reform Trust, and (former) prisoners.

This FLF examines three diverse case study countries: England and Wales, Brazil and Canada, developing multinational implications. This approach is ambitious and risky, but critical for challenging commonsensical beliefs. Interviews, focus groups, observation and creative methodologies will be used. There are three aims, to:
i) theorise the (potential) participatory roles of prisoners and the voluntary sector in prison regulation
ii) appraise the (normative) relationships between multisectoral regulators (e.g. public, voluntary) from local to (trans)national scales
iii) co-produce (with multisectoral regulators), pilot, document and disseminate models of participatory, effective and efficient prison regulation in England and Wales (and beyond) - integrating multisectoral, multiscalar penal overseers and prisoners into regulatory theory and practice.

This is an innovative study. Punishment scholars have paid limited attention to regulation. Participatory networks of (former) prisoners are a relatively new formation but rapidly growing in influence. Nobody has yet considered agencies like the Prisons Inspectorate and Ombudsman alongside voluntary sector organisations and participatory networks, nor their collective influences from local to transnational scales. Nobody has tried to work with all of these agencies to reconceptualise prison regulation and test it in practice.

Findings will be developed, disseminated and implemented internationally. The research team will present findings and engage with diverse stakeholders and decision makers through interactive workshops (Parliament, London, Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham), and multimedia outputs (e.g. infographics). This FLF has implications for prisons and detention globally, and broader relevance as a case study of participatory regulation of public services and policy translation.

Planned Impact

This FLF has developed in direct response to identified needs of i) policymakers, through my engagement with the Parliamentary Justice Committee; ii) regulators, through my work with the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman and Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody; and ii) service users, through my interactions with voluntary sector organisations and prisoner lived experience networks. Reconceptualising prison regulation for safer societies could benefit multiple groups. OPCAT signals the growing global significance of detention regulation. The UK is at the global forefront of detention oversight but its prison regulation is ineffective and ripe for theoretical and practical development. The multisectoral, multiscalar and multinational foci of this FLF will uniquely place it to produce internationally relevant theory and implications. Responding to the opportunity created by the expanding OPCAT, my FLF will primarily benefit England and Wales/the UK, but will foster inter and transnationally relevant and promoted excellence and collaboration. Beneficiaries include:
- academics in multiple disciplines (explained above)
- government policymakers who seek to operate prisons more safely and efficiently (e.g. the Justice Committee)
- voluntary sector prison regulators in England and Wales (e.g. Prison Reform Trust). In 2011 nearly 20,000 voluntary organisations were working with criminalised individuals in England and Wales alone (Gojkovic et al 2011). All have at least some local, regional or national regulatory interest and/or function. Findings will help advance the welfare of prisoner beneficiaries
- voluntary sector prison regulators internationally (e.g. John Howard Society of Canada, Howard League for Penal Reform New Zealand)
- multinational voluntary sector detention regulators (e.g. Dignity, Human Rights Watch)
- think tanks (e.g. New Philanthropy Capital, the Social Market Foundation). Findings will provide ideas pertinent to the socioeconomic problem of prison regulation
- (quasi-)statutory penal regulators (e.g. Independent Monitoring Boards, Ombuds institutions)
- international (quasi-)governmental actors (e.g. EU, UN Torture and Human Rights Committees, OPCAT decision makers and preventative mechanism bodies). Findings will help such groups to perform their functions more effectively
- prisoners, who suffer when conditions deteriorate (there are around 83,000 prisoners in England and Wales and over 10.74 million globally)
- prisoners' families, who have a vested interest in prisoner welfare and visits (prison crises often lead to e.g. cancelled visits and distress)
- prison staff and their families, who benefit from safer working environments
- members of the public in a growing number of societies around the world, who have an interest in reducing reoffending
- social welfare organisations with responsibilities for safeguarding and security (e.g. adult and child secure settings, broader voluntary organisations e.g. NCVO). This research has the potential to contribute to UK and international public services effectiveness through regulation

A programme of high profile multisectoral workshops with and for stakeholders (including two in Parliament at months 25 and 40) and a multimedia web portal will underpin impact. Outputs will be (re)produced in accessible formats including videos, infographics and reports coauthored and badged with partners wherever possible (e.g. the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, the Prisoner Policy Network), and made available free of charge on the project web portal. Social media and the networks of contacts (e.g. Criminal Justice Alliance) and international partner organisations (e.g. John Howard Society of Canada, Howard League for Penal Reform New Zealand) will promote outputs and drive web traffic.
- Gojkovic D et al (2011) Offender engagement with third sector organisations: a national prison-based survey. Third Sector Research Centre Working Paper 61.

Publications

10 25 50
 
Title Woodhill - A Short Film 
Description A short film created by LUNG Theatre describing the impact on a mother of the suicide of her son whilst on remand in HMP Woodhill. 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2021 
Impact 65 attendees answered a survey question about the Woodhill film at a death in prison conference in November 2021. 100% of respondents voted that the film could be useful for raising awareness of prison suicide. From 2021-2023 The SAFESOC team screened LUNG theatre's WOODHILL film to Death in Prison conference attendees, university students and prison reform organisations. 40 audience members responded to a survey about the film. These are some of the anonymous survey response from viewers. What impact did watching the film WOODHILL have on you as a viewer? I've never seen a piece of work that so succinctly sums up the experience of death in custody. So vital that lived experience is placed front and centre of these narratives. It was extremely impactful; it takes an issue and a 'voice' that is really lacking. Very raw emotion and grief beautifully articulated. It provided a human context for the statistics I routinely see in my work and underlined the ripple effect of inhumane conditions in custody. Awareness of injustice for prisoners with mental health struggles and made me feel anger more than upset that this is happening. It was emotive but educational. Will you do anything differently in your future work as a result of watching the film, and if so, what? Really think about how the work in this area should be underpinned/ not lose sight of families. The film will drive campaigns and hopefully bring around new discussions. It reminded me of the power of individual testimony and to keep finding responsible ways of platforming that. It highlighted another example of non-medical professionals (a prison officer) being tasked with medical tasks (mental health screening), which I see as a fundamental issue within the design of prisons. Find ways to promote and circulate the film with a view to affecting reform. It made me think about mental health and the fact that it is not taken into consideration, statistically more likely prisoners have ACEs and mental health yet it is ignored. Speak up for those in prison. Follow up on people and their families. Educate myself. Learn about how as a practitioner I can make a difference. 
 
Title Woodhill - Play 
Description LUNG Theatre and The North Wall present ' Woodhill' - This play is a development from the film "Woodhill" and Professor Philippa Tomczak and Dr Gill Buck were pleased to act as advisors. 2023 https://www.lungtheatre.co.uk/woodhill 
Type Of Art Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) 
Year Produced 2023 
Impact Audiences- 3,573, Press coverage - 58 individual pieces of coverage, Combination of publication wide audiences from outlets featuring coverage - 783 million, Estimated views- 1.19 million 
URL https://www.lungtheatre.co.uk/woodhill
 
Description This FLF aims to reconceptualise prison regulation, for safer societies. More effective prison regulation through prisoner and voluntary sector participation could reduce reoffending and save lives. However, whilst oversight can have many positive effects, we have highlighted in academic publications, events, reports and policy briefs how oversight can be top-down, problematic, ineffective, deflect attention from continued systemic hazards and may on some occasions create more harm than good. We have sought to provide nuanced analyses in diverse output formats of how these factors currently combine and how regulation could be otherwise.

We highlighted how very effective prison oversight is sometimes carried out by voluntary organisations, families and people with lived experience of imprisonment. We have also explored the harms and limitations of participation, and the substantial emotional effects of doing prison oversight work, which might be particularly powerful for people with lived experience of detention and have not been considered before.

We have highlighted the limitations of existing local and national death investigations in particular and examined how the voluntary sector and international rules-based prison regulation mechanisms challenge and reproduce local and national 'state' apparatuses. We have commissioned, advised on and disseminated a feature film to illuminate the issue of prisoner deaths from a bereaved mother's perspective and engage audiences in a different way. We also have an article under review which has problematised creative methods in research dissemination.

The most significant achievement from the award has been our efforts to overcome the constraints suddenly imposed by COVID and by defensive receipt of our findings from multiple stakeholders in different sectors, which we did not expect. We reflected on how we could have engaged differently with those stakeholders and also shifted strategies, disseminating findings more broadly and beyond the original agencies involved (including at an international conference organised to support the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions in producing the first UN 'Deaths in Prisons' thematic report [UN Doc A/HRC/53/29, 18.4.23] and a conference at the House of Lords through a policy brief which collated academic findings). We set out three key findings on Improving death investigations to promote safety Case study: Prisoner deaths in our Policy Brief, published September 2023. We set out significant limitations in prisoner death data, reported by the Special Rapporteur.
Exploitation Route Specific findings on prisoner death investigations are relevant to all prisoner death investigations around the world, and have some implications for other types of death investigations.

Findings have application across all forms of prison oversight (e.g. inspection, complaints, national preventative mechanisms).
Sectors Healthcare

Government

Democracy and Justice

URL https://www.safesoc.co.uk/
 
Description This award recognised my research, KE and impact work with policy makers and practice leaders on the complicated issue of prisoner deaths (inter)nationally. I undertook an entirely original programme of research, KE and impact facilitated by a sustained relationship with the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman in England and Wales, supported at the outset by the Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody and the Equality and Human Rights Commission. My FLF has changed a) national and b) international public policy, facilitating investigations that prevent deaths to improve health and safety for prisoners and societies, contributing to SDG 3: ensure healthy lives. It has also led to the identification of a major new research area: assembling multidisciplinary death investigations to enhance societal safety. Regarding national public policy, in response to relatively limited impact with the original partners, we put together an original film (with LUNG) and policy brief in order to raise awareness more generally. The policy brief has gained traction with the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, the UK's National Preventive Mechanism (under the UK's ratification of the UN Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment), the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Penal Affairs, all influencing national public policy. We are now beginning to see impacts of the creative work in partnership with LUNG Theatre, 'Woodhill' film and 'Woodhill' the play. The film has had many screenings, reaching over 400 people internationally, including influential decision makers, stakeholders and reaching and engaging the next generation (students and trainees) to create lasting impact. • Film screened at House of Lords (2023) (co-presented by families), testimony included: "Extremely powerful day much more needs to be done to support people before they come into the system" (Lord Harris of Haringey); "Listening to the testimonies was powerful, devastating action must be taken to prevent further suicides in prisons" (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon); "A powerful event, rightly centred around the experiences and insights of the families of prisoners... The recommendations should be enacted" (David Shipley, Journalist). • UN Special Rappoteur- After watching the film (2022), The United Nation's Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions remarked 'It was invaluable to learn about this invisible global tragedy which urgently requires preventable action. • In collaboration with Penal Reform International, screened also at a UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice side event 'Deaths in prison: understanding and reducing preventable loss of life, 26 May 2023, 09:10-10:00 CET | Side event at #CCPCJ32 |' • We have sought to inspire and engage the next generation by including trainees and students in our screenings. After viewing the film, social work trainees committed to 'have more empathy; join penal reform campaigns; do more research on remand and mental health and speak up for those in prison' (Survey responses, 2022). The film is embedded in a social work course so will continue to raise awareness and give influence to this area. • "On 3rd November 2021, the team hosted an international conference online, entitled: Prisoner death investigations: Improving safety in prisons and societies? This event was attended by over 200 representatives from the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, Inspectors and Coroners, prison staff, health and social care staff, voluntary organisations, government departments, academics and people who have been personally impacted by deaths in prison. • Research and innovation a shared endeavour -by learning from arts and lived experience partners to translate our complex data on prison deaths into visual art centring the human story. This (unusually) impacted diverse audiences from professionals to general publics Our forthcoming journal article will encourage more social scientists to consider art as engagement, creating a lasting legacy for impact in this area(s). The Woodhill Play was enabled by this stimulus, the film's creators LUNG developed the film into a critically acclaimed theatre production, reaching more people. 3,573 audience members in Oxford, London and the Edinburgh Festival in 2023 and was one of six projects shortlisted at the Stage Awards 2024 for Community Project of the Year. The national Guardian review (2023) called the production an 'astonishing portrait of Britain's failing prison system [which] honours the dead and those who fight for change'. Regarding international public policy, the influential Tomczak & Mulgrew [2023, Making prisoner deaths visible, Incarceration] illuminated a largely preventable global tragedy and its new epistemological approach was adopted by the Special Rapporteur in the first UN 'Deaths in Prisons' thematic report [UN Doc A/HRC/53/29, 18.4.23], facilitating prevention by seeking to make the scale of prisoner deaths (and their characteristics) visible in UN datasets. Our next steps include seeking to reach the Council of Europe with similar message to influence SPACE I statistics.
First Year Of Impact 2023
Sector Government, Democracy and Justice
Impact Types Policy & public services

 
Description APPG (All-Party Parliamentary Groups) on Penal Affairs, 24th October 2024.
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Contribution to new or improved professional practice
URL https://prisonreformtrust.org.uk/apppag/october-2023-the-role-of-the-prisons-and-probation-ombudsman...
 
Description Call for input: Deaths in custody - UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions
Geographic Reach Multiple continents/international 
Policy Influence Type Contribution to a national consultation/review
URL https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/thematic-reports/ahrc5329-deaths-prisons-report-special-rapporteu...
 
Description Citation in Report to the United Nations Report to the General Assembly of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Morris Tidball-Binz 'Deaths in Prisons' thematic report
Geographic Reach Multiple continents/international 
Policy Influence Type Citation in other policy documents
URL https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G23/071/20/PDF/G2307120.pdf?OpenElement
 
Description Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) Collaboration (PPO: investigate prisoner deaths in England and Wales)
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Citation in other policy documents
Impact Problematise the taken-for-granted 'good' of death investigations, highlighting that their [PPO] Terms of Reference and methodologies are not explicit and require refining. Per PPO testimonial [letter, 2022], I disrupted the enduring, static refrain that 'recommendations are not implemented'. Work with the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman informed their shift from prioritising outputs (investigating and producing reports) to outcomes (making reports lead to change), and their Strategic Plan 2022/2023 impact section, particularly 'reviewing [...] recommendations' to ensure they can be implemented (p4). This work also informed the PPO's 2023 Vision and Values, which sets out a profound "key change" to prioritising process: presenting evidence-based learning "that will show how prisons [] can be safer". [https://ppo.gov.uk/news/ombudsman-adrian-usher-launches-new-vision-and-values/]
URL https://s3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/cloud-platform-e218f50a4812967ba1215eaecede923f/uploads/sites/34/...
 
Description Prisons and Probation Ombudsman Collaboration work (PPO: investigate prisoner deaths in England and Wales): systemic hazards
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Citation in other policy documents
Impact Collaboration sought to raise awareness of systemic hazards amongst the PPO and staff, identified through Prof Tomczak's analysis of PPO reports. There is some evidence that PPO now acknowledge the systemic hazard of imprisioning with severe mental illness. The PPO have started to question the imprisonment of men with serious mental illness in their narratives and findings (e.g., 2023 report into 2020 death of Luke Clarke at HMP Wormwood Scrubs) albeit not in recommendations. [Please see Tomczak, P. (2022) Highlighting "Risky Remands" through prisoner death investigations: People with very severe mental illness transitioning from police and court custody into prison on remand. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 423]. See page 3 of the investigation report (E9):"This is a shocking case. Although it is outside the PPO's remit, we question whether Mr Clarke should have been in prison at all."
URL https://ppo.gov.uk/news/ppo-announce-investigations-into-fatal-incidents-on-website/
 
Description Prisons and Probation Ombudsman Collaboration work (PPO: investigate prisoner deaths in England and Wales): transparency
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Citation in other policy documents
Impact The policy brief highlighted the need for transparency about the PPO's methods, terms and activities. Transparency has subsequently been repeatedly highlighted by the new Ombudsman. i) "the new vision and values will help us achieve our goals and be transparent at the same time"; ii) "Ombudsman Adrian Usher felt it was important that we are even more transparent in our investigations so the website will be updated weekly. " https://ppo.gov.uk/news/ppo-announce-investigations-into-fatal-incidents-on-website/ https://ppo.gov.uk/news/ombudsman-adrian-usher-launches-new-vision-and-values/
URL https://ppo.gov.uk/news/ombudsman-adrian-usher-launches-new-vision-and-values/
 
Description The National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) report: Inside Healthcare.
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Contribution to new or improved professional practice
URL https://www.ncepod.org.uk/2024prisonhealthcare.html
 
Description UK National Preventative Mechanism report
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Citation in other policy documents
URL https://nationalpreventivemechanism.org.uk/news/npm-raises-concerns-about-systemic-issues-in-uk-dete...
 
Description Deaths in Prison Worldwide
Amount £42,590 (GBP)
Organisation University of Nottingham 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2022 
End 07/2022
 
Description Peer support in prisons
Amount £5,000 (GBP)
Funding ID A1H514 
Organisation University of Nottingham 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2021 
End 07/2021
 
Description QR FUNDS
Amount £12,012 (GBP)
Funding ID H56273 
Organisation Higher Education Funding Council for England 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2021 
End 03/2021
 
Description QR SPF FUNDING
Amount £30,000 (GBP)
Funding ID H56334 
Organisation Higher Education Funding Council for England 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2022 
End 03/2022
 
Description Starting Grant
Amount € 1,500,000 (EUR)
Funding ID ERC - 949289 - RECEDE 
Organisation European Research Council (ERC) 
Sector Public
Country Belgium
Start 04/2022 
End 04/2027
 
Title Emotion, Action and Power in the Penal Voluntary Sector, 2019-2020 
Description This is qualitative data from six focus groups, undertaken 2019-2020, including a total of 32 penal voluntary sector (PVS) practitioners from England and Scotland, holding diverse roles (i.e., strategic leaders, frontline workers, volunteers, lived experience leaders and activists). The study overall was an interpretive study of the PVS which ran from 2019-2021. We explored what people in this sector do and why, what it feels like to practice in this sector, and what power people feel they have in their role. The voluntary sector acts as the last line of defence for some of the most marginalized people in societies around the world, yet its capacities are significantly reduced by chronic resource shortages and dynamic political obstacles. Existing research has scarcely examined what it is like for voluntary sector practitioners working amidst these conditions. We explore how penal voluntary sector practitioners across England and Scotland marshalled their personal and professional resources to "keep going" amidst significant challenges. For data storage and analysis purposes transcripts have been carefully anonymised with any potentially identifiable details removed. Further information about the project and links to publications are available on the University of Nottingham SafeSoc project webpage linked under Related resources. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2023 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Article: Buck G, Tomczak P and Quinn K (2022) 'This is how it feels': activating lived experience in the penal voluntary sector. British Journal of Criminology, 62(4): 822-839. Article featured on the British Journal of Criminology's 'Most read' list, summarised in Russell Webster's newsletter (a criminal justice practitioner and blogger with over 5,000 followers). As a result of this article we were also invited to speak at a BSC annual conference panel. The event was well attended and led to an invitation to join a lived experience working party, which is co-hosting a 'Lived experience in criminal justice' conference in Sheffield in March. Article: Quinn K, Tomczak P and Buck G (2022) Voluntary sector practitioners' story-lines as emotion work. British Journal of Sociology, 73(2): 370-386. Summarised in Russell Webster's newsletter. 
URL https://reshare.ukdataservice.ac.uk/855938/
 
Title Prisoner death investigations: improving safety in prisons and societies, 2019-2020 
Description This is qualitative data collection of semi-structured interviews conducted between December 2019-October 2020 within a study that examined how the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (seek to) effect change in prisons following prisoner suicides and how death investigations could have more impact on prison policy and practice. The study ran from 2019-2021. Internationally, prisoner mortality rates are up to 50% above those in the community. Although prisoner deaths are frequent and have significant implications across a broad range of stakeholder groups, these harms are rarely acknowledged. We address this by examining how the PPO (seek to) effect change in prisons following prisoner suicides and how death investigations could have more impact on prison policy and practice from semi-structured interviews with multisectoral stakeholders. Within this project, 46 semi-structured interviews were undertaken with multisectoral stakeholders: 17 PPO staff (who work across England and Wales from a base in London), 8 prison Governing Governors (representing 8 prisons), 11 regional SCGLs (representing all but two regions nationally) and 9 Coroners (who represent 9 of the 92 separate coroners' jurisdictions in England and Wales) and bereaved family members (n=1). These professional groups have received limited consideration in previous research despite International laws, e.g. Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, requiring that all deaths in state detention are independently investigated. In England and Wales, prisoner deaths are externally investigated by at least the police, PPO and Coroner. These police, ombudsman and coroner investigations can be very disruptive and cause uncertainty and anxiety for all involved. The research demonstrates how the harms of prisoner deaths and investigations are broadly unacknowledged and radiate widely. We sought to stimulate both i) more substantive support for all those caught up in prison suicides and death investigations and ii) reconsideration of how prisoner deaths are investigated. For data storage and analysis purposes, the participants were divided into four categories: 1) Prison and Probation Ombudsman staff (PPO); 2) Governing Governors (Governors); 3) Safer Custody Group Leads (SCGLs); 4) Coroners (coroners); 5) bereaved family members (prisoner family). Because of the sensitivity of this research 3 SCGL transcripts have been omitted due to the participants still being identifiable following transcript anonymisation. Further information about the project and links to publications are available on the University of Nottingham SafeSoc project webpage https://www.safesoc.co.uk 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2022 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact TBC 
URL https://reshare.ukdataservice.ac.uk/855785/
 
Title Prisoners on Prisons: Experiences of Peer-Delivered Suicide Prevention Work, 2020-2021 
Description This is qualitative data from a focus group conducted in September 2020 within a study that examined how the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (seek to) effect change in prisons following prisoner suicides and how death investigations could have more impact on prison policy and practice. The study ran from 2019-2021. Within this project, a focus group was conducted with former prisoners in England and Wales (n=5): Across jurisdictions, prisoner suicide rates consistently exceed those amongst comparable groups in the general population (Zhong et al., 2021). Deaths in coercive institutions threaten the right to life, which is 'the most fundamental of all human rights [and a] condition of the enjoyment of other rights' (Owen and Macdonald, 2015: 121). The high rates of suicide and self-harm in prison are of international concern (Dear, 2006). Prison suicide reduction has been designated a priority activity by the World Health Organisation (2007) and England and Wales' Ministry of Justice (2016). generating very significant harm and costs (Roulston et al., 2021; Author, 2021). Peer support is part of the (international) response to suicidal prisoners, but too little is known about the experience of these interventions. For data storage and analysis purposes the transcript has been carefully anonymised with any potentially identifiable details removed. Within the transcript the 5 former prisoners have deliberately not been differentiated between to protect their identity. Because of the sensitivity of this research, transcripts of follow up support and analysis groups have been omitted due to the participants still being identifiable following transcript anonymisation. Further information about the project and links to publications are available on the University of Nottingham SafeSoc project webpage https://www.safesoc.co.uk 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2022 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact Reports produced: Who Cares? Exploring distress in prison from the perspective of people in prison - Dr Lucy Wainwright and Fabien Decodts - Prison Reform Trust - November 2020 Suicide in Prisons Review: Former prisoner perspectives - Lauren Bennett - Revolving Doors - September 2020 Reducing deaths in prisons: Learning from prisoner lived experience? Webinar - 3rd November 2020 Accessible dissemination beyond the academy via Russell Webster write up / blog (6000 subscribers, updating practitioners and the public on the latest research, policy and practice in criminal justice and drug and alcohol treatment). 
URL https://reshare.ukdataservice.ac.uk/855867/
 
Description Families Bereaved by Prison Suicide 
Organisation City, University of London
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Identified data and the topic, supervised LUNG theatre to make a feature film
Collaborator Contribution Assisted with data analysis, delivery of the feature film and writing an academic article (which we were invited to revise and resubmit In late 2021)
Impact Conference presentation, London South Bank University https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/fighting-for-justice-tickets-159588462387#. Multidisciplinary sociology/criminology Conference presentation, project conference November 2021 65 attendees answered a survey question about the Woodhill film at a death in prison conference in November 2021. 100% of respondents voted that the film could be useful for raising awareness of prison suicide. From 2021-2023 The SAFESOC team screened LUNG theatre's WOODHILL film to Death in Prison conference attendees, university students and prison reform organisations. 40 audience members responded to a survey about the film. These are some of the anonymous survey response from viewers. What impact did watching the film WOODHILL have on you as a viewer? I've never seen a piece of work that so succinctly sums up the experience of death in custody. So vital that lived experience is placed front and centre of these narratives. It was extremely impactful; it takes an issue and a 'voice' that is really lacking. Very raw emotion and grief beautifully articulated. It provided a human context for the statistics I routinely see in my work and underlined the ripple effect of inhumane conditions in custody. Awareness of injustice for prisoners with mental health struggles and made me feel anger more than upset that this is happening. It was emotive but educational. Will you do anything differently in your future work as a result of watching the film, and if so, what? Really think about how the work in this area should be underpinned/ not lose sight of families. The film will drive campaigns and hopefully bring around new discussions. It reminded me of the power of individual testimony and to keep finding responsible ways of platforming that. It highlighted another example of non-medical professionals (a prison officer) being tasked with medical tasks (mental health screening), which I see as a fundamental issue within the design of prisons. Find ways to promote and circulate the film with a view to affecting reform. It made me think about mental health and the fact that it is not taken into consideration, statistically more likely prisoners have ACEs and mental health yet it is ignored. Speak up for those in prison. Follow up on people and their families. Educate myself. Learn about how as a practitioner I can make a difference.
Start Year 2021
 
Description LUNG Theatre 
Organisation Lung Theatre
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution Co-I works closely with this partner to align creative projects with the research and ensure maximum impact from dissemination of creative projects produced
Collaborator Contribution This is an ongoing partnership, extending from the creation of the Woodhill film, several screenings, partner took part in Oxford conference, other activities are in development at this time.
Impact Woodhill film - creation Woodhill film - screening 24th October 2021 Woodhill film - screening at Oxford conference on 3rd November 2022 Woodhill play - LUNG Theatre and The North Wall present ' Woodhill' - This play is a development from the film "Woodhill" and Professor Philippa Tomczak and Dr Gill Buck were pleased to act as advisors. 2023 https://www.lungtheatre.co.uk/woodhill Woodhill film - screening at United Nationals Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, Vienna - 26th May 2023 - The event is titled: Deaths in prison: understanding and reducing preventable loss of life and is organized by Penal Reform International with the support of Brazil, Finland and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. Speakers from Brazil, Chile and Penal Reform International will discuss challenges and best practices in addressing deaths in prisons, in line with international standards. Before closing remarks our short film WOODHILL (Lung theatre and the University of Nottingham) will screen, raising awareness of the impact of prison suicide and contributing structural factors.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Ombudsman Prisoner Death Investigations 
Organisation Prisons and Probation Ombudsman
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution Securing initial funding, undertaking research with six groups of stakeholders, undertaking document analysis, arranging two formal dissemination events, frequent sustained liaison with members of the organisation. Securing ethical approval from the University of Nottingham and HM Prisons and Probation Service National Research Committee.
Collaborator Contribution Gatekeeping access to stakeholders including coroners and prison service safe custody group leads. Presenting at events, invested staff time in creation and dissemination, advertising outputs.
Impact Webinar and supporting reports (200 attendees) - November 2020 Article - Tomczak, P. and McAllister, S. (2021) Prisoner death investigations: a means for improving safety in prisons and societies? Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law. Sue McAllister is the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (England and Wales) - Routledge Law's top impact scoring research published in May 2021. https://www.safesoc.co.uk/outputs/ Improving prisoner death investigations and promoting prison safety - Policy Brief - February 2023 Improving prisoner death investigations and promoting change in prisons - Report - February 2023 https://www.safesoc.co.uk/prisoner-death/ Webinar and supporting reports (200 attendees) - November 2021 https://www.safesoc.co.uk/prisoner-death/
Start Year 2020
 
Description Prisoner Voice 
Organisation Prison Reform Trust
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Facilitated a collective writing project involving former prisoner members of the Prisoner Policy Network. Lead on the writing up of a journal article and policy brief. Arranged a dissemination meeting with Samaritans.
Collaborator Contribution Gatekeepers facilitating access to former prisoners. Partners in focus groups and writing and dissemination.
Impact Policy brief [Journal article - Buck, G. Tomczak, P., Harriott, P., Page, R., Bradley, K., Nash, M., & Wainwright, L. (under review) Prisoners on Prisons: Experiences of peer-delivered suicide prevention work. Critical Social Policy.] Information sharing session with Samaritans - May 2021
Start Year 2020
 
Description British Society of Criminology Conference - July 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact British Society of Criminology conference, invited speaker sharing paper: Buck, G., Tomczak, P., & Quinn, K. (2022). This is how it feels: Activating lived experience in the penal voluntary sector. The British Journal of Criminology, 62(4), 822-839.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Cheshire and Merseyside Social Work Teaching Partnership 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Gill Buck facilitated a continuing professional development workshop for the Cheshire and Merseyside Social Work Teaching Partnership, summarising the partnership writing project with former prisoners and inviting considerations of co-produced knowledge and social services. An article is currently under review with the European Journal of Criminology.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Chester Literature Festival - Prisons Event - November 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Gill Buck hosted question and answer session with two authors talking about mental health support in prisons: https://www.storyhouse.com/event/outsiders-on-the-inside-stories-from-prison
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.storyhouse.com/event/outsiders-on-the-inside-stories-from-prison
 
Description Citation - Dr Gill Buck's 'lived experience' paper featured by Russell Webster 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Russell Webster's criminal justice blog has more than 6000 subscribers. Having worked as a probation officer and for a range of voluntary sector organisations in the UK and the USA, Russell now works full time as an independent consultant specialising in the fields of substance misuse and crime. This blog reviewed our recently published study noting overlooked limitations of peer delivered mental health services and particularly the risk of traumatisation.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://www.russellwebster.com/what-does-lived-experience-work-in-criminal-justice-feel-like/
 
Description Citation in "The Guardian" news article - 21st June 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Philippa Tomczak Citation in Guardian news article 'If you decide to cut staff people die': how Nottingham prison descended into chaos, Isobel Thompson, 21.6.22
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jun/21/how-nottingham-prison-descended-into-chaos-staff-cut...
 
Description Citation in "The Herald" news article (Scotland) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Philippa Tomczak citation in The Herald, Scotland THE BIG READ: They're about to close Barlinnie down and throw away the key ... and a very different type of prison is set to replace it
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/20590266.big-read-close-barlinnie-throw-away-key-different-t...
 
Description Citation on Phys.org of "Improving prisoner death investigations and promoting change in prisons" report 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Article posted on Phys.org quoting "Improving prisoner death investigations and promoting change in prisons" report to a reach of 5million
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://phys.org/news/2023-02-prisons-transparency-death-prison-safety.html
 
Description Crimvol: ~Teaching the PVS session 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact CRIMVOL is an international, multidisciplinary criminal justice voluntary sector research network. Discussions have uncovered an (international) gap in curricula around the PVS. We have a plan to focus on how the PVS features (or doesn't) through a content analysis of criminology conference abstracts and publicly available university syllabus. The group also hope to apply for Leverhulme funding to resource this work, led by DT with support from the group. Next meeting is 16/1/23.

plans to submit funding proposal for small research study (mapping PVS in teaching and knowledge exchange)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Death in Prisons Conference, Oxford, Nov 2/3 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The Death in Prison conference took place at the University of Oxford from 2nd - 3rd of November 2022. The conference aimed to work collaboratively on ways to visibilise and prevent prisoner deaths, with a focus on historical and international contexts. The event was attended by the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, international NGOs, international academic researchers, arts campaigners, people who have been personally impacted by deaths in prison, and prison regulation actors.

Most significant impact is UN Special Rapporteur Thematic Report on Deaths in Custody

With in-person attendance including UN Special Rapporteur Dr Morris Tidball-Binz, Professor Bronwyn Naylor (RMIT, Australia), Jean-Frederic Boulais (Canadian Office of the Federal Investigator: investigates prisoner deaths), Dr Rohan Borschmann (University of Melbourne, Australia) and Dr Chris Seeds (University of California Irvine, USA). "The conference was impeccably well prepared and organized, and it proved to be an invaluable opportunity to learn about leading academic research and advocacy on deaths in prisons, an invisible global tragedy which urgently requires visibilisation and preventive action. The Conference should kickstart a process for bringing together a like-minded researchers and activists on the issue of deaths in custody" (Dr Morris Tidball-Binz, UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.safesoc.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/death-in-prisons-conference-report-oxford-2022-...
 
Description Dr Gill Buck featuring in 'lived experience' podcast 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Discussion of research career including current focus on participatory prison regulation
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://www.theturnaroundproject.org/podcast/episode/32a7c9cb/from-peer-piloting-and-youth-offending...
 
Description Eighth CRIMVOL virutal working paper session- Jan 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact CRIMVOL is an international, multidisciplinary criminal justice voluntary sector research network. Discussions on members reflecting on how they do or could include the PVS (Penal Voluntary sector) in University Curricula. The group have now set a goal to share examples of PVS teaching across jurisdictions with a view to creating cross-national PVS curricula. Report here: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/prisons-health-and-societies/documents/events/teaching-the-pvs.pdf
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/prisons-health-and-societies/events/index.aspx
 
Description FLF Quarterly Newsletter article - Sept 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Article regarding prisonHEALTH group included in FLF quarterly newsletter. Recruited members to prisonHEALTH group as a result of the article.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Fifth CRIMVOL virutal working paper session- Jan 2021 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Gill Buck chaired the fifth CRIMVOL working paper session. CRIMVOL is an international, multidisciplinary criminal justice voluntary sector research network (chaired by Dr P Tomczak & Dr G Buck).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/prisons-health-and-societies/documents/events/fifth-cri...
 
Description Fourth CRIMVOL virutal working paper session- Nov. 2020 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact CRIMVOL is an international, multidisciplinary criminal justice voluntary sector research network (chaired by Dr P Tomczak & Dr G Buck). Speaker from Canada discussed the youth PVS in Canada. Report available here https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/prisons-health-and-societies/documents/events/fourth-crimvol-virtual-working-paper-session.pdf
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/prisons-health-and-societies/events/index.aspx
 
Description How Voluntary Sector Workers Keep Going in 2002- Russell Webster 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact 19/01/2022- Russell Webster is a criminal justice practitioner and blogger with over 5000 followers. He summarises research into bitesize, free summaries for justice practitioners. In Jan 22, he summarised and promoted: Quinn, K., Tomczak, P., & Buck, G. (2022). "How you keep going": Voluntary sector practitioners' story-lines as emotion work. The British Journal of Sociology.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.russellwebster.com/how-voluntary-sector-workers-keep-going-in-2022/
 
Description Improving prisoner death investigations and promoting prison safety - Conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact "This parliamentary event introduced key research findings from the project using the short film 'Woodhill' about the experience of familial bereavement by prison suicide and also issued an accessible policy brief outlining recommendations for how prison monitors could more fully realise their potential and become a valuable catalyst for improved prison safety. The conference brough together policy makers and parliamentarians, the criminal justice voluntary sector (including prison monitors at all scales), and academics. There was an opportunity for questions, discussion and networking. On the day there were 74 attendees in total, including 16 parliamentarians.

Quotes:

Lord Harris of Haringey, Toby Harris (our sponsor and member of our Advisory Board): "Extremely powerful day, especially the testament from the families".

Also, this from his introduction could be used in addition: ""In 2015, when 'Changing prisons, saving lives' reviewed the self-inflicted deaths of 83 young adults, it was clear that operational staffing levels were not adequate. Prison overcrowding and staffing have got worse since then. Prison should be a last resort and much more needs to be done to support young people before they come into the criminal justice system. Unfortunately, political rhetoric remains stuck on putting more people into prison, for more offences and for longer.""

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: "Listening to the testimonies of those with a family member who had committed suicide in prison was powerful, devastating. It's clear that action must be taken to prevent further suicides in prisons. Yesterday's event was invaluable in raising awareness amongst those who could make a difference."

David Shipley - Journalist: ""This was such a powerful event, rightly centred around the experiences and insights of the families of prisoners who died at HMP Woodhill. The policy paper represents an important effort to ensure that inquests and PPO investigations don't just keep repeating the same findings while nothing changes. The three recommendations in the policy paper should be enacted."""
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://www.safesoc.co.uk/news-events/
 
Description Improving prisoner death investigations and promoting prison safety - Policy Brief 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact February 2023 - Press release issued to the media to disseminate Policy Brief "Improving prisoner death investigations and promoting prison safety" and report "Improving prisoner death investigations and promoting change in prisons: A findings and recommendations report - February 2023" written by Sharon Shalev and Philippa Tomczak based on Philippa Tomczak's research findings. The press release was featured as a write up by Russell Webster (blogger regarding criminal justice policy and practice) , featured in "Prison Oracle - News Desk", congratulatory letter written by Brendan O'Friell (ex-prison governor).

The policy brief and report mentioned above disseminated to interested parties via email.

The policy brief and report mentioned above disseminated to interested MPs and Lords.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/news/prisons-probation-ombudsman-transparency-death-investigations
 
Description Interviewed by Notts TV regarding ESC Young Criminologist Award 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Philippa Tomczak interviewed by Emma Caldwell regarding general research findings, changes by state organisations not making a difference and her award of ESC Young Criminologist 2022 as a result of this research.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://nottstv.com/programme/notts-today-friday-8th-october/
 
Description Invited expert presentation to RCGP Secure Environments Group December 2021 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Well received presentation by Philippa Tomczak on the risky remands of prisoners with severe mental illhealth, sparked debate, made new connections with members of the RCGP
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.rcgp.org.uk/about-us/the-college/who-we-are/committees/secure-environments-group.aspx
 
Description Knowledge Exchange and Impact - UoN presentation 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Philippa Tomczak's presentation was to demonstrate her on-going knowledge exchange and impact work with funding from UKRI and future funding from ERC.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description LUNG booklet/ film report 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Film report regarding Woodhill film which was commissioned to support the Prisoner Death Conference (Nov. 22).
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://doi.org/10.25878/z6p8-gg36
 
Description LinkedIn post by Dr Sharon Shalev regarding "Improving prisoner death investigations and promoting change in prisons" report surpassed 10,000 views 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact LinkedIn post by Dr Sharon Shalev regarding "Improving prisoner death investigations and promoting change in prisons" report surpassed 10,000 views
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sharon-shalev_prisondeaths-investigations-systemicchange-activity-703...
 
Description Ninth CRIMVOL virtual working paper session - May 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact CRIMVOL is an international, multidisciplinary criminal justice voluntary sector research network. Discussions on members reflecting on how they do or could include the PVS (Penal Voluntary sector) in University Curricula. The group have now set a goal to share examples of PVS teaching across jurisdictions with a view to creating cross-national PVS curricula. Report here: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/prisons-health-and-societies/documents/events/teaching-the-pvs.pdf
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/prisons-health-and-societies/events/index.aspx
 
Description Panel presentation at European Society of Criminology conference 5-th-9th September, Florence 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact "The importance of participatory and effective prison regulation for safer societies
This panel reports some of the findings from the SAFESOC project (Tomczak, 2020 - 2024), which aims to reconceptualise prison regulation for safer societies.
Presentations:
• Documents as regulators in Shaw's report on prison suicide at HMP Woodhill (C Traynor)
• Centring women prisoners' voices in networked prison regulation (G Buck)
• Prisoner complaints - fair, participatory and inclusive? Quantitative analysis of HMP prisoner surveys (R Benwell-Moore)
• (Re)constricting individualised prisoner death investigations: A case study from England and Wales (K Quinn)"
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Premiere of verbatim short film Woodhill, produced by LUNG theatre 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact This film was commissioned to support the Prisoner Death Conference (Nov. 22) https://www.safesoc.co.uk/prisoner-death/ The premiere was an opportunity for creators, the main actor (a bereaved mother) and researchers to view the film and make any required adjustments. Film report here https://www.safesoc.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Woodhill-Booklet-3.pdf
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Presentation on initial findings by Sara Hyde at British Society of Criminology conference - 28-30 June 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Academic conference with criminology academic attendees only, mostly UK based. Presented refined paper on initial findings, especially around prison healthcare staff acclimatisation ot working with suicide and self-harm.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Presentation on initial findings by Sara Hyde at University of Edinburgh's Suicide Cultures conference - 13 and 14 June 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Presentation on initial findings to in person and online audience of interdisciplinary scholars with an interest in suicide. Attendees were international.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Presentation on initial findings by Sara Hyde at University of Nottingham's Institute of Mental Health Research Day - 24 May 2023 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Presentation on initial findings to a group of practitioners, academics and a patient group as part of University of Nottingham Institute of Mental Health research day
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Prison and Probation Ombudsman HARMS booklet development 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact A roundtable online event was held by Rebecca Banwell-Moore with the PPO and a graphic illustrator to discuss the design of a prison suicide and suicide investigations 'harms' pamphlet based on the findings outlined in 'The human toll': Highlighting the unacknowledged harms of prison suicide which radiate across stakeholder groups' publication.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Prison death Investigations- international conference online 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact This event was attended by over 200 representatives from the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, Inspectors and Coroners, prison staff, health and social care staff, voluntary organisations, government departments, academics and people who have been personally impacted by deaths in prison. Conference report was produced.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.safesoc.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/conference-november-2021.pdf
 
Description Prisons: The Rule of Law, Accountability, and Rights. A one-day Virtual Conference exploring Prison Oversight 26 November 2020 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Philippa Tomczak participated as a named discussant on a debate about improving prison oversight. Oversight bodies were in attendance, sparking questions and new links.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.tcd.ie/law/research/PRILA/
 
Description Professor Philippa Tomczak participation in UK NPM roundtable event 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact In September 2023, Professor Philippa Tomczak was invited to present leading academic research at the UK 'NPM (national preventive mechanism) Roundtable: Deaths in custody' conference alongside Seena Fazel, Professor of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Oxford. Approximately 40 attendees.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Royal College of General Practitioners Secure Environments Group 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Invited as a keynote speaker.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description Safesoc Newsletter - December 2020 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Approximately 100 people have read this newsletter which was intended to update the audience regarding the activity of the research team and any upcoming events. It has led to several requests for further information or participation in the ongoing project and increased requests for receipt of future newsletters.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
 
Description Safesoc Newsletter - December 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Approximately 100 people have read this newsletter which was intended to update the audience regarding the activity of the research team and any upcoming events. It has led to several requests for further information or participation in the ongoing project and increased requests for receipt of future newsletters.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://sway.office.com/aUt1AHPCeM4qrK1y?ref=Link
 
Description Safesoc Newsletter - January 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Approximately 100 people have read this newsletter which was intended to update the audience regarding the activity of the research team and any upcoming events. It has led to several requests for further information or participation in the ongoing project and increased requests for receipt of future newsletters.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://sway.office.com/4JGEynGf5CNDjTau?ref=Link
 
Description Safesoc Newsletter - June 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Approximately 100 people have read this newsletter which was intended to update the audience regarding the activity of the research team and any upcoming events. It has led to several requests for further information or participation in the ongoing project and increased requests for receipt of future newsletters.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://sway.office.com/xzjumIdeY1aiYP7c?ref=Link&loc=play
 
Description Safesoc Newsletter - May 2021 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Approximately 130 people have read this newsletter which was intended to update the audience regarding the activity of the research team and any upcoming events. It has led to several requests for further information or participation in the ongoing project and increased requests for receipt of future newsletters.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://sway.office.com/tHTia039rL1DSBHv?ref=Link
 
Description Safesoc Newsletter - September 2023 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Approximately 100 people have read this newsletter which was intended to update the audience regarding the activity of the research team and any upcoming events. It has led to several requests for further information or participation in the ongoing project and increased requests for receipt of future newsletters.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://www.safesoc.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/safesoc-newsletter-september-2023.pdf
 
Description Seventh CRIMVOL virutal working paper session- Sept. 2021 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact CRIMVOL is an international, multidisciplinary criminal justice voluntary sector research network. Speaker from Denmark discussed incarceration in Denmark, and the role of the penal volutnary sector in the criminal justice system. Report here: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/prisons-health-and-societies/documents/events/crimvol-7.pdf
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/prisons-health-and-societies/events/index.aspx
 
Description Sixth CRIMVOL virutal working paper session- May 2021 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact CRIMVOL is an international, multidisciplinary criminal justice voluntary sector research network (chaired by Dr P Tomczak & Dr G Buck). Speakers from UK and Brussels discussed Arts research and collaboration. Report here: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/prisons-health-and-societies/documents/events/sixth-crimvol-virtual-working-paper-session.pdf
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/prisons-health-and-societies/events/index.aspx
 
Description Tenth CRIMVOL virtual working paper session 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Hidden figures: A manifesto for naming the PVS (Dr Kaitlyn Quinn and Dr Samantha McAleese)
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/prisons-health-and-societies/documents/events/10th-crim...
 
Description Thinking Allowed (Radio 4) - Prison Protest 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Philippa Tomczak, Radio 4 interview, Thinking Allowed, Prison protest: Laurie Taylor explores the way in which prisoners have sought to transform the conditions of their imprisonment and have their voices heard. Nayan Shah, Professor of American Studies and Ethnicity and History at the University of Southern California, considers the global history of hunger strikes from suffragists in the US and UK to Republican prisoners in Northern Ireland and anti apartheid campaigners in South Africa. What is the meaning and impact of the refusal to eat? They're joined by Philippa Tomczak, Director of the Prisons, Health and Societies Research Group at the University of Nottingham, and author of a study which examines the way in which the 1990 riots at HMP Strangeways helped to re-shape imprisonment. Was the change lasting or significant?
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0016pr2
 
Description UKRI Advisory Board Meeting - Thursday 8th June 2023 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact "Dr Gill Buck gave an overview of work done to date and articles published. The team's articles and outputs can be accessed here. SAFESOC's lead investigator Dr Philippa Tomczak has been promoted to Professor of Criminology at the University of Nottingham. She also received a 'Young Criminologist' award from the European Society of Criminology. The SAFESOC team have been busy publishing papers and attending conferences. Sara Hyde recently presented at the Edinburgh Suicide Cultures Conference on the experiences of prison healthcare staff. At the end of 2022, the whole team delivered a Death in Prisons conference at the University of Oxford. The conference highlighted the scale of known deaths in prison and made the case for more robust data collection internationally.

Dr Cathie Traynor gave a presentation on 'Documents as regulators in Shaw's review of prison suicide'. She received responses from Jamie Bennet (Youth Justice Board) and Nick Hardwick (Royal Holloway University of London). Jamie noted that actor network theory is an interesting approach which recognises the interplay between structure, agency, and culture in how institutions function. It also highlights the diverse ways documents and policies have been used by people. Nick encouraged critical reflection on use of the word 'regulation' and how it is distinct from recommendations and accountability.

Dr Gill Buck presented: The Corston Report: Centring women prisoners' voices in networked, participatory regulation? She received responses from Paula Harriott (Prison Reform Trust) and Nina Champion (Criminal Justice Alliance). Paula noted how the paper problematises the framing of women as victims, as they are then not foregrounded to lead change. When women in prison internalise these labels, it can stymy activism and result in systemic inaction. Nina noted how there is a need to consider intersectionality and racial discrimination. Drawing on collaborations in the USA she advocated for a number of alliances but observed that actors often don't work together. To foster coalitions, we need to move from 'ego-system' to ecosystem.

Rebecca Banwell-Moore presented: 'Prisoner death, a toxic cocktail of contributory factors'. She received responses from Soruche Saajedi (Prison Reform Trust) and Miranda Davies (Nuffield Trust). Soruche observed how little agency people in prison have regarding factors such as health. The quality of food and healthcare provision can vary locally and often the system locks into a pattern of deteriorating health. Policy decisions can intersect with this, for example the number of prisoners who took their own lives when the decision was made not to resentence IPP prisoners. Miranda appreciated Rebecca's clear presentation of big picture challenges facing the prison system, which has high rates of staff leaving or off sick and high numbers of prisoner outpatient appointments missed. Given people are dying from known risk factors, she asked what is the purpose of prison?

The advisory group concluded with an open discussion, which focused on the need to understand strengths and protective factors in addition to risk factors (e.g., education, food and wellbeing initiatives; full staff quotas; well supported staff; lower prison populations). There was also an important point to keep an international focus as problems of overcrowding and inadequate staff levels are not unique to the UK. "
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description University of Bath 'Dying in Custody' conference - 15th and 16th June 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Rebecca Banwell-Moore presented paper and findings on the 'human toll' of prison suicide and investigations across multisectoral stakeholders. Conference participants included academics, professional practitioners and third sector orgs. Raised awareness and prompted discussion/debate.

Philippa Tomczak invited as a keynote speaker.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description University of Nottingham Press release regarding ESC Young Criminologist Award 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Press release written by University of Nottingham media team informing of Dr Philippa Tomczak's aware of European Society of Criminology 2022 Young Criminologist Award in recognition of her research into prison safety.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/news/prisons-expert-receives-young-criminologist-award-european-society...
 
Description What Does Lived Experience Work in Criminal Justice Feel Like?- Russell Webster 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact 26/10/2021- Russell Webster is a criminal justice practitioner and blogger with over 5000 followers. He summarises research into bitesize, free summaries for justice practitioners. In October 2021 he summarised and promoted Buck, G., Tomczak, P., & Quinn, K. (2021). This is how it feels: Activating lived experience in the penal voluntary sector. British Journal of Criminology.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.russellwebster.com/what-does-lived-experience-work-in-criminal-justice-feel-like/
 
Description Woodhill Film Screening - Chester University 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Film screening to Social Work MA students as part of a 'complicated grief' workshop. Students were asked if they will do anything differently in future work as a result of watching the film, and if so, what?
Responses included: Join a campaign against big prisons/ do more research on issues such as remand and magistrates court lack of powers to hospitalise/ focus on mental health assessments, education and staffing/ family relationships vital/ see if there are any charities to help families pay for transport costs/ be more aware of the emotions & difficulties relatives face/ speak up for those in prison/ educate myself/ be mindful of restrictions people face and challenge for their rights to receive the mental health help they need/ ensure there is better support for individuals with mental illness in prison.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Woodhill Film Screening - Howard League - 5th July 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Third sector organisations
Results and Impact Film screening to criminal justice reform organisation as part of staff development. Attendees were asked if they will do anything differently in future work as a result of watching the film, and if so, what?

Responses included: drive our campaigns and hopefully bring around new discussions/ keep finding responsible ways of platforming the power of individual testimony/ highlighted how non-medical professionals (prison officers) should not be tasked with medical tasks (mental health screening) in the design of prisons/ find ways to promote the film with a view to affecting reform.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description prisonHEALTH discussion group - Nov 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact 'Prisons, Health and Societies' is a new, multidisciplinary research group which
exists to encourage high quality scholarship, engagement and knowledge transfer
regarding all aspects of mental and physical health, in and around prisons and
detention sites. The prisonHEALTH arm is directed by Dr Philippa Tomczak and Dr
Catherine Appleton. We were joined by Chris Seeds from UCI, who presented a
paper "The prison hospice: palliative care at the end of life sentences".
Chris Seeds is an Assistant Professor of Criminology, Law and Society at the
University of California, Irvine, and a capital defence lawyer. Chris began by
discussing his current research project, which aims to explore the sociology of a
prison hospice, and portray what palliative care looks like in prison.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/prisons-health-and-societies/documents/events/chris-see...
 
Description prisonHEALTH discussion group - Oct 22 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact 'Prisons, Health and Societies' is a new, multidisciplinary research group which exists to encourage high quality scholarship, engagement and knowledge transfer regarding all aspects of mental and physical health, in and around prisons and detention sites. The prisonHEALTH arm is directed by Dr Philippa Tomczak and Dr Catherine Appleton. We were joined by Prof Toby Seddon of UCL Social Research Institute who presented a paper "Rethinking prison inspection: lessons from regulation studies". Toby Seddon is Professor of Social Science and Head of the UCL Social Research Institute. He conducts historical and inter-disciplinary social science research on drug policy and drug law reform. Toby talked to the prisonHEALTH group about his previous work that brought concepts from regulation studies to bear on the criminal justice system. The talk provided an overview of his chapter from the book Regulation and Criminal Justice (Quirk et al., 2010) which was a response to a chapter by then Chief Inspector of Prisons, Anne Owers.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/prisons-health-and-societies/documents/events/toby-sedd...
 
Description prisonHEALTH discussion group- 2 Dec. 2020 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact 'Prisons, Health and Societies' is a multidisciplinary research group which exists to encourage high quality scholarship, engagement and knowledge transfer regarding all aspects of mental and physical health, in and around prisons and detention sites. Developing flourishing series of internal seminars, we warmly welcomed our first external speaker Dr Nate Link from Rutgers University, who presented his paper "The Critical Roles of Mental, Physical, and Financial Health for Reentry and Desistance". any outcomes or impacts that have arisen?
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/prisons-health-and-societies/events/index.aspx
 
Description prisonHEALTH discussion group- 25 March 2021 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact 'Prisons, Health and Societies' is a multidisciplinary research group which exists to encourage high quality scholarship, engagement and knowledge transfer regarding all aspects of mental and physical health, in and around prisons and detention sites. Developing flourishing series of internal seminars, we warmly welcomed our second external speaker Professor Ben Crewe from the Institute of Criminology at the University of Cambridge who presented his co-authored paper "Top bunk, bottom bunk: the indignities of cell-sharing". This talk explored the micro-dynamics of prison life and the impact on individual's wellbeing and dignity.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/prisons-health-and-societies/events/index.aspx