Prison Climate and Inmate Well-Being: Preliminary Findings on the Role of Environment, Health, and Social Dynamics

• In Event: PWG - Prison climate, well-being, and quality of prison life

Abstract

To understand the experience of prison life, it is important to study prison environments and their impact on inmate well-being. We examined the relationship between prison climate and prisoners’ individual quality of life (QoL), focusing on how physical and psychological health, social relationships, and environment (measured by the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire) predict well-being aspects of the prison climate (assessed by the Measuring the Quality of Prison Life–MQPL framework: personal development, autonomy, well-being, distress), controlling for prison regime (closed/semi-open). A sample of 525 male prisoners from Serbia’s four largest penitentiary facilities (M age=40 years, SD=10.18, range=20–73; average sentence=8 years 3 months, SD=8, range=1–40 years) participated. Multiple regression analyses were conducted with the prison regime entered as a control variable, followed by prisoners’ self-rated QoL as predictors. Both prison regime and individual QoL significantly predict well-being outcomes. Environmental Health was the strongest predictor (β=.46–.69), followed by Physical (β=.10–.29) and Psychological Health (β=.11–.26). Social Relationships had a small but negative impact across several dimensions (β=-.09–.11). The prison regime remained a significant predictor even after QoL was introduced (β=.09–.13), with semi-open settings positively influencing all well-being-related scores. While pain and discomfort were reported in both closed and semi-open facilities, prisoners in semi-open wards perceived these challenges as less severe and more controllable, confirming that prison environments and conditions shape subjective experiences of well-being and development. Findings reinforce prior research suggesting that improving prison environments can enhance prisoners’ well-being. Targeted interventions in safety, healthcare access, and personal development opportunities may yield significant benefits. The negative impact of social relationships highlights the need to address social dynamics, foster positive interactions, and provide support systems to mitigate social isolation and enhance well-being. This research is a part of the PrisonLIFE project (No. 7750249, Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia).

Author

• Milena Milićević, Institute for Criminological and Sociological Research