Clean Jails ‘Could Cut Violence’

Clean prison cells and well-trained staff could cut violence among the UK’s most dangerous inmates, a report to the British Psychological Society claims. Psychologist Dr Lorraine Johnstone found environmental factors hugely affected prisoners’ behaviour. She identified risk factors at a Scottish jail which should help all prison and secure hospital staff. They included staff experience, a prison’s history of violent attacks and the physical state of jail cells.

Dr Johnstone said violence within secure hospitals and prison settings was a significant problem with far-reaching consequences for patients, prisoners, staff and visitors. She said: “Traditionally, the scientific approach has been to identify violent factors in the prisoner – such as criminal risk factors and personality disorders. These are all very important, but our approach would say other influences have got to be looked at too.

“For instance, what does the place look like? Are patients being put in wards and cells with damp dripping down the walls or with worn carpets? And is there a history of violence in the institution? These can have an effect on prisoners’ behaviour.”

Dr Johnstone, an honorary research fellow at the Centre for the Study of Violence at Glasgow Caledonian University, will present her criteria – named Prism (Promoting Risk Intervention by Situational Management) – at the British Psychological Society’s Scottish Branch annual conference in Perth. She said studies at Glasgow’s Barlinnie prison had shown that once a larger range of assessments were used to control violent prisoners, the number of aggressive incidents reduced sharply.

Prism has been piloted in a number of prison establishments since, and has been found to identify risks as well as areas for good practice, she added. Dr Johnstone said she hoped the scheme could eventually be used by other facilities. She added: “Hopefully we will have a systematic risk assessment trial that can be used by institutions to develop their services.”

The two-day British Psychological Society conference closes on Saturday and will be attended by about 100 experts.