Special edition of Prison Service Journal showcases research network

The new edition, entitled PRisoN: Unlocking prison research, showcases the breadth of research involved in the network and can be viewed here: http://bit.ly/PSJJan2016.

The Prison Research Network was launched in April 2015 by Helen Nichols and Dr Bill Davies, criminology lecturers and prison researchers within the University’s Centre for Applied Social Research.  Bill explained: “The Prison Research Network is a supportive network of academic and non-academic professionals with an interest in prison and its wider impact on society. The aim of the network is to bridge the gap between previously separate academic disciplines to create a central hub of knowledge and support.” The network also includes members from the NHS and the Prison Service, along with local prisoner-based charities and other national charities with a vested interest in penal reform.

Tying in with the network’s theme of collaborating across our faculties and beyond, researchers at our University contributing to the edition alongside Bill and Helen are: Mike Wragg, Senior Lecturer in Playwork; Karina Kinsella and Dr James Woodall of the Centre for Health Promotion Research; Jenny Landells and Sarah James, lecturers in Speech and Language Therapy; Gemma Ahearne, a PhD student researching sex workers in prison; Tom Cockroft, Principal Lecturer in Criminology; and David Honeywell, part-time lecturer in Criminology and PhD student at the University of York.

Also included are articles by Clare Taylor, Policy and Research Officer at the Prisoners’ Education Trust, Dr Jayne Crosse, Director at CruxRegen, and Claire Shepherd, Karl Lenton and Priti Parmar at Safe Innovations, examining the social and economic benefits of ‘seedS’, a mobile therapeutic healing environment designed for prisons. Karl is a Leeds Beckett architecture graduate and you can read more about the success of seedS here.

Bill said: “The response we gained from the launch of the network was beyond our expectation to say the least. We were particularly enthused that attendees acknowledged the welcoming and somewhat informal environment we had strived to create at the launch to encourage networking and the sharing of ideas — an environment that we feel represents the nature of the network itself. The event resulted in the creation of new connections between PRisoN members and those who had attended to find out about the network.”

Helen added: “For us, PRisoN has become a central hub of knowledge and experience concerning prisons; whether this be researching prisons, working in prisons, or experiencing prison first hand. Included in this hub are those who work with people in the community through resettlement and reintegration processes. Our aim is to continue connecting people and organisations to encourage the pursuit of understanding about the prison institution and the impact it has on society broadly. Ultimately, our mission is to improve people’s lives through the valuable resource of knowledge and experience — something that is significantly strengthened when researchers and organisations come together with a common purpose.

“We are delighted to present this special edition as an example of just a small number of areas of expertise held by PRisoN members. We of course would be pleased to welcome new members to the network and would encourage readers to contact us if they would like to hear more about our work or tell us about their own.”

You can get in touch by emailing prisonresearch@leedsbeckett.ac.uk or on Twitter @PRisoN_network. You can also meet the team at their first annual conference on Friday 15 April at Headingley Campus – register at http://bit.ly/PRNConference.