Dr Alexandria Bradley

As individuals we each hold our own experiences of bereavement and grief. Death affects us all, but our journeys of navigating this are profoundly personal, unique, complex and very much form part of our ongoing, and dynamic story. Open conversations about death are rare, especially when reflecting on the possibilities of impact and influence on a person's life moving forward. These inevitable experiences, occurring within both personal and social contexts highlight the role of emotion, relational work, and emotional labour. Particularly within the context of probation, they also underscore the recognition of trauma, addiction, and the impact of desistance from or persistence in crime. Within this article, we aim to shed light, provoke thought and invoke conversation. There has been research in prisons (Wilson 2011; Wilson et al 2022; Wilson 2023; Vaswani 2014, 2015 and 2018), but again, probation remains in the shadows.

This article examines the state of prison safety and security across England and Wales. Trauma-informed practice is considered as a potential approach to reduce levels of violence and increase decency.

This report outlines the findings of a qualitative evaluation which explores the impact of a trauma-specific programme. The Griffin programme, is an evidenced-based intervention to support healing and recovery for women with sex-working histories, within residential recovery. The findings highlighted the specialist nature of the programme and the importance of prioritising love within healing, recovery and rehabilitation.

This report, presents the findings of a qualitative evaluation of The Nelson Trust Bridgwater Women's Centre. The findings highlight the trauma-responsive nature of the centre and the importance of prioritising safety and well-being for both women and staff.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the perspectives of prisoners and prison staff in relation to mental wellbeing and the negotiation of barriers to accessing and providing support. This small-scale study includes the experiences of 11 prison staff and 9 prisoners within a Category D male prison. Design/methodology/approach A focus group was conducted with the prisoners and interviews with prison staff. Thematic analysis identified three core themes: “context enabling factors”, “barriers to accessing support for mental wellbeing” and “peer support roles”. Findings Prisoners conveyed a reluctance in reporting mental health issues due to the fear of being transferred to closed conditions. All staff indicated the benefits of peer support roles. Research limitations/implications Further research is required on a wider scale, as it is acknowledged that the findings of this study are from one prison and may not apply to other settings. Although there are barriers that may impact the reporting of mental wellbeing issues, there may be small relational steps that can be taken to address these. Originality/value Few studies exist that explore the nuances and barriers within open prisons, perhaps due to the overwhelming need within closed conditions. A context-specific approach considering early prevention strategies to support a safer prison system and successful rehabilitation is explored. The combination of prisoner and staff experiences is of value to both academia and policymakers.

Context Trauma-informed practice (TIP) originated in healthcare organisations but is now increasingly being adopted by a range of frontline services, including in the criminal justice system. Generally, trauma-informed services do not offer treatment for trauma but provide services that recognise people are likely to have experienced trauma and adversity. Principles of TIP were developed to improve staff knowledge about the impact of trauma, how it manifests in behaviour, and to develop organisational culture and practices that ensures a person’s trauma does not impede their access to services. This bulletin explores the experiences of staff working with trauma in adult probation. Approach The findings are based upon interviews with probation practitioners and managers in England. Twenty-seven individual interviews and two focus groups with a total of eleven participants were conducted between April and November 2021. Additionally, to inform this study, researchers examined training materials and other TIP resources that have been developed by participants in the study. Researchers were also able to participate in a ‘Becoming Trauma-Informed’ training session for probation court staff. Key findings and implications • There are pockets of practice throughout the Probation Service that unquestionably meet the ‘criteria’ of TIP. Importantly, much of this work is with the most vulnerable people on probation; women, young adults, and those with mental health and/or personality disorder diagnoses. • Staff identified a number of benefits of using TIP for themselves and those with whom they work. In particular, trauma-informed approaches feel intuitive, improve job satisfaction, can help overcome the dissonance between personal and professional values and organisational demands, can help create a meaningful working relationship between the practitioner and the person on probation, and they provide a more humane lens through which to redefine the more punitive aspects of practice. • Formal training, clinical supervision, knowledgeable and committed line management, and buy-in from senior leaders were identified as important in providing support to staff using TIP and there were strong examples of this in practice, particularly for those working with individuals screened into the personality disorder pathway. Overall, however, staff felt the professional culture in probation encourages work practices that can result in vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, burnout, and that staff wellbeing is not prioritised. • Most staff believed the Probation Service can become a trauma-informed organisation, but that there are at present significant barriers to progress. These include the challenges of reconciling TIP within a system of punishment, processes being prioritised over people, lingering organisational cultures of fear, shame, and blame, a lack of knowledge and genuine buy-in from senior leaders, unmanageable workloads, and the continued dominance of the risk management paradigm.

The desistance and resettlement experience of Muslim women is largely invisible in academia, policy, and practice. The findings of this review outline the ways in which Muslim women’s needs are hidden within academia, policy, and practice in favour of examining collective experiences of women and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (‘BAME’) individuals. Therefore, this chapter highlights the importance of exploring the intersectionality of culture, faith, ethnicity, and gender to increase the representation within desistance experiences. This chapter further explored the neglect of Muslim women’s needs and experience, in order to encourage greater equality and understanding of minority groups across the criminal justice system. Through an analysis of desistance theorising and insights from practice, this review indicates potential concepts that could be applicable to the resettlement needs of Muslim women. In order to emphasise good practice examples, this chapter introduces the Muslim Women in Prison project, a specialised and culturally informed through-the-gate service in England and Wales. Finally, the review considers future directions of research.

The behavioural manifestations of trauma can be complex, challenging and emotionally demanding for prison staff. Due to the prevalence and pervasiveness of trauma within Her Majesty’s Prison Service (HMPS), it is important to view the experience of individuals in prison and those that work in prisons through a trauma-informed lens. Firstly, the reported prevalence of trauma within the prisoner population is considered. Secondly, this article examines the trauma-informed response from Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPS) from a theoretical, practical and policy perspective. In addition, this article highlights that by implementing a robust trauma informed approach within prisons, this can be beneficial for every individual working and living in prison. Some of the key challenges associated with the implementation of trauma-informed practice (TIP) and institutional transformation are presented in this article. In support of this, brief reflections from doctoral research examining the early implementation of TIP are presented. Finally, future directions are considered for individuals working with trauma and how institutions can evaluate their implementation journey and practice. The ‘Working with Trauma Quality Mark’ is introduced as a quality assurance model in order to develop trauma practice, whilst providing a mechanism to demonstrate and celebrate aspects of good practice across HMPS.

This chapter evaluates the Griffin Programme, a trauma-specific intervention tailored to support women with sex-working histories in residential recovery settings. Qualitative data is presented from an evaluation of the programme, adding to an under-developed area of trauma theorising. Firstly, recent innovation within women’s recovery and rehabilitation is considered, to explore the role of trauma-informed practice and associated developments within the field. Secondly, the design of the Griffin Programme is discussed, in order to highlight examples of good practice when supporting women to recover from the long-term effects of sex working. The chapter then introduces the reader to three key emerging themes, ‘Relational Association: Healing, Shame and Intimacy’; ‘Implicit Knowing’ and ‘Nurturing, Love and Healing’. The findings of this research demonstrate the importance of developing love and meaningful connection when delivering trauma-specific programmes. Women who had taken part in the programme acknowledged the importance of sharing lived experiences in order to promote intimacy and powerful connections with others, during their healing and recovery. In addition, findings indicated that the above themes should be considered, in order to harness a transformative impact within the context of women’s healing, recovery and rehabilitation. Finally, the chapter concludes by outlining areas of future direction and aspects of good practice when working with women who have trauma histories associated with sex working.

This report presents the findings of an independent evaluation of the Problem-Solving Courts (PSCs) for women in Greater Manchester, focusing on the experiences of those involved in the process. Launched in 2014, the Greater Manchester PSCs for women is the most well established and longest running model for women in England and Wales, originating as an alternative to custody. The research centres women’s voices, while also incorporating the views of Probation staff and Magistrates, to better understand the relational approach, as well as the tensions and challenges, and to explore how PSCs can be improved to better support women.

Abstract Purpose This paper aims to highlight the impact that Covid-19 has had on the quality of education in prisons. This study considers the restrictive approaches taken by Her Majesty’s Prison Service during this challenging time, to argue that prisoner education is not being adequately prioritised. This study highlight issues relating to the digital divide in prisons and the lack of technological advancement, which could improve educational continuity and in-cell learning. Design/methodology/approach This study provides an examination of the broad impact the national pandemic has had on prisons and punishment, Covid-19 National Frameworks and policies relating to prison restrictions, the movements within prisoner education policy, scholarship and reflections from delivering Learning Together in HMP Full Sutton, to argue that prisoners are at the bottom of the educational hierarchy in terms of delivery, innovation and prioritisation of learner needs. However, this study proposes that some of the technologically enhanced learning is a potential solution, to transform educational equity and to reduce the digital divide. Findings This study highlights that education in prisons has taken a sudden and substantial deterioration. Findings suggest that there are few signs of this improving in the immediate future due to ongoing national restrictions. The Covid-19 prison restrictions further demonstrate the neglect of prisoners' educational needs. In addition, the national pandemic has highlighted the lack of use of technology within educational delivery in prisoners. However, findings suggest that through engaging digital learning platforms and the greater inclusions of technology in prisons, they can enhance educational opportunities and inclusive experiences for isolated learners. Research limitations/implications This is a study piece with support from a review of policy and scholarship. This is not based on data collected with serving prisoners during the national pandemic. Originality/value This study provides an overview of the current restrictions and lockdowns in prison associated with the national pandemic. Contemporary consideration to this underexplored area is essential to highlight the severe deprivations of prisoners and the fundamental impact this has had on educational delivery and much anticipated progression. Nuanced approaches to increase the use of technology within prison education are considered, in light of the challenges the pandemic has spotlighted.