Words Behind Walls: A Creative Writing Project with Prison Staff

Research from the Institute of Criminology at Cambridge recognises that prison officers are productive role models for prisoners and that the pop-cultural stereotype of the officer beating the inmate into submission has diminished. Yet a report published by the Prison Officers Association (POA) in 2020 noted that staff members were at a greater risk of work-related stress and mental health problems than most other occupations, with little support in place. Staff wellbeing is in turn tantamount to the safety of those who serve custodial sentences.In 2022, researchers at the University of Hull designed a bespoke eight-week creative writing course for prison staff at two HMPPS, supporting the mental health of their staff. This was the first of its kind in the UK. As the groups were advertised, one individual emailed the research team to comment on the opportunity: “It sounds a rich and lovely thing in this environment”. Prison was revealed as a specific site of interest in creative writing. This article explains the design and delivery of the course, our choice of texts as writing prompts, and the writing exercises we utilised.Our data observed numerous benefits for individual participants, including an “escape” from daily work, improved relationships, and the cathartic outlet for managing a stressful job. For the purposes of this article, we draw focus to the writing course stimulating confidence, prompting self-growth. We contend that the delivery and outcomes of the course positions prison as a unique site for writing to support employee wellbeing.