Development of a prison-based transformational housing RCT in the United States

• In Event: Seeking Safety in Prison: Promoting Institutional Wellbeing

Abstract

People who encounter the criminal-legal system face worse health, mental health, and quality of life outcomes following incarceration. Life expectancy declines two years for every year served in prison, and stress from risk of violence and poor prison conditions leads to adverse health and mental health outcomes during and after prison. Adverse prison conditions including prison violence and overdoses, also affect staff, often in the form of staff absences, workplace injury, stress-related illnesses, and high turnover rates. Transforming prison conditions is one way to potentially mitigate some of the harms of incarceration. Many prisons in the U.S. are struggling to find innovative ways to improve prison conditions and overall prison culture and climate. Scholars have long observed the penal practices of Scandinavia and other countries across the globe as an alternative to U.S. practices and a viable strategy to improve U.S. prison conditions and reduce recidivism. In this presentation, we discuss the development of an intervention that is informed by international best practices and collaboratively developed with researchers and community partners that aims to improve prison conditions and the wellbeing of people living and working in prison.

Authors

• Kelli Canada, University of Missouri

• Beth M. Huebner, Arizona State University

• Ashley Givens, University of Missouri

• Janet Garcia-Hallett, University of New Haven

• Francis Huang, University of Missouri

• Rabia Fazian, University of Missouri

• Kate Maley, University of Missouri