Surviving Prison: Exploring prison social life as a determinant of health

Abstract

Prison social environments play an important role in the health of prisoners. How they respond to imprisonment is partially dependent upon how effectively they integrate into an institution's social structure, learn to fit in with others and adapt to and cope with becoming detached from society, community and family *hence, how they personally manage the transition from free society to a closed carceral community. This paper reports on findings of an ethnography conducted in an adult male training prison in England, which used participant observation, group interviewing, and one-toone semi-structured interviews with prisoners and prison officers. The research explored participants' perceptions of imprisonment, particularly with regard to how they learned to adapt to and 'survive' in prison and their perceptions of how prison affected their mental, social and physical well-being. It revealed that the social world of prison and a prisoner's dislocation from society constitute two key areas of 'deprivation' that can have important health impacts.

The impact of imprisonment on health: what do women prisoners say?

“…Those UK studies that have examined prisoners’ perspectives on the impact of imprisonment have tended to focus on the experience of men 2729. This paper reports women prisoners’ perceptions of the effects of imprisonment on their health and well-being and the implications for custodial and healthcare practice.…”

Patients’/prisoners’ perspectives regarding the National Health Service mental healthcare provided in one Her Majesty’s Prison Service establishment

“…The sociology of prisons and the relationship between health, well-being and incarceration therefore warrant contemporary study. De Viggiani (2006) argues that the views of prisoners, concerning their health in relation to the prison social environment, should be increasingly researched and considered.…”

Healthier prisons: the role of a prison visitors' centre

“…the right of prisoners to receive the same standards of health input as the general public), and the tension between 'punishment' and 'rehabilitation'. This paradox has led authors in the area to question whether promoting health in prison is a contradiction in terms (Smith 2000), an oxymoron (McCallum 1995, de Viggiani 2006 or simply incompatible (Greenwood et al 1999). These latter debates are outside the scope of this paper, which instead will focus on the ways in which a visitors' centre can enhance the health of prisoners, their families, and the prison staff.…”