Evaluation of the effectiveness of a diversity and inclusion committee on a psychologically informed planned environment in a UK prison

Abstract

Purpose

Psychologically Informed Planned Environments (PIPEs) are designed to support individuals to develop positive relationships. This can be achieved through social activities and engagement with committees. Developing understanding of diversity and inclusion (D&I) continues to be an area of need in criminal justice. A custodial PIPE therefore developed a D&I committee, which included the planning and delivery of community events. This study aims to explore the effectiveness of the committee and events in increasing understanding of protected characteristics, enabling individuals to raise D&I-related issues, developing positive relationships and increasing feelings of safety.

Design/methodology/approach

Eight participants residing on a PIPE engaged in semi-structured interviews to explore their experience of the D&I committee and events. Thematic analysis was used to explore the responses and to identify common themes within the data.

Findings

Four themes were identified: “you’re in a safe environment here”, connectedness, opportunities to learn and grow and “it could be better”. The research indicated that the D&I committee and events support several of the enabling environments standards and provide prisoners with an opportunity to build on their strengths and capabilities, in line with the Good Lives Model (Ward, 2002; Ward and Gannon, 2006), which underpins the ethos of PIPEs (NOMS and DoH, 2012; HMPPS and NHS, 2023).

Practical implications

There is scope for similar committees to be implemented in other psychologically informed environments, which could potentially be extended to other therapeutic environments and “standard wings” within prisons. However, future research should consider the influence of prisoners’ individual characteristics on their experience of such committees and events.

Originality/value

PIPEs provide a unique environment in which various committees can be implemented. A D&I committee has provided the space and opportunity for staff and prisoners to develop their knowledge and understanding and to build positive relationships. This research has evaluated the effectiveness of this and aims to promote the use of such committees in other services.

Citation

Sewell, H. (2025), "Evaluation of the effectiveness of a diversity and inclusion committee on a psychologically informed planned environment in a UK prison", The Journal of Forensic Practice, Vol. 27 No. 1, pp. 24-37. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFP-01-2024-0003