This general edition of the Prison Service Journal brings together a diverse range of content which will be of interest to our readers.
Articles in this edition examine prison staff wrongdoing, prison staff knowledge about head injury, climate resilient prison infrastructure, the impact of the early release scheme implemented in England and Wales in 2024, higher education in prison, the impact of the physical space on therapeutic processes, perimenopausal and menopausal experiences of women who hold senior prison governor positions, and one of the 2025 Perrie Lectures which calls for the justice reform sector to reconnect with public sentiment on crime and justice.
Also in this edition are reviews of four books: Ministry to the Incarcerated (by Dr Henry G. Covert), What are prisons for? (by Professor Hindpal Singh Bhui), Work, Culture, and Wellbeing Among Prison Governors in England and Wales (by Professor Karen Harrison, Rachael Mason, Dr Helen Nichols and Dr Lauren Smith), and Prisoner Leaders: Leadership as Experience and Institution (edited by Dr Marion Vannier and Paula Harriot).
In this edition
This article is based on the first independent research into prison staff wrongdoing in England and Wales
By Dr Bronwen Frow-Jones
Reviews of studies on the prevalence of head injury suggest that it is found in more than half of prisoners
By Dr Roisin Jack, Dr Louise Buchan, Julia Heeren and Professor Tom McMillan
With the threat of escalating extreme temperatures and their proven adverse impact on peoples’ physical and mental health, capital investment in the thermal performance of carceral infrastructure offers an immediate and effective baseline to mitigate risk and provide humane and sustainable custodial care
By Samantha Rouche
This article examines the impact of the new early release scheme (SDS40) introduced in September 2024 on prisoners ineligible for early release, particularly life-sentenced individuals.
By Dr Marion Vannier, Dr Helen Gair, Mercedes Lopez and Harris Telford
This article examines the transformative power of higher education (HE) in prison, arguing for the establishment of HE-focused prison facilities in England and Wales
By Omar Lobban
Research suggests a therapy rooms condition impacts clients’ perceptions of their practitioner’s competence, and quality of care
By Rudi Singh
This study explores the perimenopausal and menopausal experiences of senior prison governors within HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) in England and Wales
By Dr Karen Harrison, Rachael Mason, Dr Lauren Smith, Dr Chloe Wilson and Sydney Ward
Alice Dawnay’s lecture challenges the justice reform sector to step outside its echo chamber and reconnect with public sentiment on crime and justice
By Alice Dawnay
The use of isolation is a particularly sensitive area of prison policy and practice, where long-standing sentiments and practices are often entrenched and change is difficult to achieve
By Dr Sharon Shalev, Harry Lefferts and Dr Toon Molleman
