Unlocking Emotions: Initial Insights into Emotional Literacy in a UK Prison

• In Event: PWG - Promoting health and rehabilitation through intervention programmes

Abstract

This presentation introduces a developing study on emotional literacy within a UK prison. The pilot phase focuses on how incarcerated individuals recognise, understand and label their emotions, core components of emotional literacy that are argued to be foundational to self-awareness, communication and behavioural adjustment. These emotional skills are often overlooked in traditional prison education and rehabilitation programmes, yet they may play a vital role in supporting long-term desistance and wellbeing.
Participants in this research will include a selected group of men from a prison in England, with data to be collected through a mixed-methods approach. The presentation will outline the conceptual framework, research design and preparatory work for fieldwork, including reflections on the challenges and opportunities of exploring emotional competencies in the prison environment.
The study aims to contribute to wider academic and policy discussions around rehabilitation, with particular emphasis on how emotional awareness and expression can support individuals in navigating both personal and interpersonal challenges during and after imprisonment. While the research is ongoing, this presentation offers a foundation for thinking about how emotional skills might be integrated into more holistic and responsive support structures within prisons.

Author

• Kim Reising, University of Lincoln