Supporting Imprisoned Women who Self-Harm: Exploring Prison Staff Strategies

Tammi Walker, Jennifer Shaw, Lea Hamilton, Clive Turpin, Catherine Reid, Kathryn Abel

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Abstract

The aim of this qualitative research study was to explore the experiences of prison staff working with imprisoned women who self-harm in English prisons. In this small-scale study, fourteen prison staff in three English prisons were interviewed to examine the strategies currently used by them to support imprisoned women who self-harm. Thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006) was used to identify three key themes: ‘Developing a relationship’; ‘Self-help strategies’ and ‘Relational interventions’. Many staff expressed some dissatisfaction in the techniques available to support the women, and felt their utility can be restricted by the prison regime.
This study suggests there is currently a deficit in the provision of training and support for prison staff, who are expected to fulfil a dual role as both custodian and carer of imprisoned women. Further research into prison staff’s perception of the training currently available could highlight gaps between current theory and practice in the management of self-harm and thus indicate content for future training programmes. Research exploring the impact of working with imprisoned women who self-harm is suggested to identify strategies for supporting staff. It must be acknowledged that this is a small-scale qualitative study and the findings are from only three prisons and may not apply to staff in other settings.
Currently few studies have focused on the perspective of prison staff. This study is one of very few which focuses on the techniques and resources available to support the women, from the perspective of the prison staff.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)173-186
Number of pages13
JournalJournal of Criminal Psychology
Volume6
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 30 Jul 2016

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