Restorative Practices with prisoners on indeterminate sentences

• In Event: Institutions and Restorative Justice

Abstract

This paper presents an evaluation of a novel restorative practices intervention designed for individuals serving Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences at a UK prison. Despite the abolition of IPP sentences in 2012, almost 3,000 individuals remain incarcerated or subject to recall, creating uncertainty, psychological distress, and systemic barriers to progression. The intervention is built on restorative principles, taking a trauma-informed, and strengths-based approach that aims to enhance wellbeing, reduce harm, and foster positive relational networks both within and beyond the prison environment.

The evaluation employed a process and outcome framework, using qualitative and quantitative methodologies to assess programme delivery and impact. Key focus areas include the intervention’s role in mitigating self-harm and institutional violence, supporting parole progression, and improving staff wellbeing through therapeutic reflective practices. The findings illustrate both the challenges of delivery in a prisons setting as well as the potential for restorative models to counteract the detrimental effects of indeterminate sentencing and reflect more broadly on the potential for prison systems to move beyond punitive responses.

Authors

• Jonathan Hobson, University of Gloucestershire

• Sara Correia, University of Swansea

• Rebecca Banwell-Moore, University of Nottingham

• Kate Smyth, University of Swansea