“When you’ve been living in darkness, the light suddenly becomes frightening” – prisoners’ experiences of health promotion in a Norwegian prison

Abstract

Purpose A settings-based approach to health promotion emphasizes everyday environments in shaping health. Prisons are, therefore, potentially important arenas for health promotion. However, the inherent restriction of prisoner agency presents a fundamental challenge in this regard. There is a gap in qualitative research on prisoners’ perspectives on health-related topics and a need for greater understanding of health promotion within prisons. This study aims to explore male prisoners’ experiences of a Norwegian low-security prison as a setting for health promotion. Design/methodology/approach This study was conducted in Forest Prison, a Norwegian low-security facility for 125 male prisoners. The prison offers various amenities and activities to prepare inmates for reintegration into society. The research used semi-structured interviews with 20 diverse prisoners. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using Gale et al.'s framework method. Findings This study revealed varied prisoner perspectives on Forest Prison as a setting for health promotion. In prisoners’ talk, the importance of agency was evident. Restricted agency triggered negative emotions and distrust, while extended agency fostered trust and wellbeing. Although Forest Prison provides a considerable degree of agency, some prisoners did not fully benefit from this agentic context because of disparities in resources. Originality/value Initiatives across three areas of action will strengthen Forest Prison as a setting for health promotion: extending agency, empowering prisoners and developing a prison culture with positive social relationships, effective communication and information flow. The findings of this study provide theoretical insights beyond the specific context, which can serve as a basis for developing prisons as health promoting settings.