Collective imagination and agency in a prison-based participatory health promotion intervention

Abstract Introduction This presentation explores the design and implementation of a participatory intervention within the EU-funded PARTNER project (Participatory Approach for Training, Empowerment, and Health Education Resources in Prisons), which promotes health equity through co-creation in correctional settings across Europe. The intervention engages people living in prison (PLPs) in envisioning alternative health futures through collective reflection, dialogue, and imaginative practices. Methods Grounded in the understanding that incarcerated individuals hold essential experiential knowledge, the methodology empowers participants to express their perceptions of health, explore barriers to well-being, and co-design context-sensitive health education tools. Drawing on storytelling and scenario-building techniques, the intervention fosters psychological safety, strengthens agency, and repositions health as a shared, participatory process rather than a top-down prescription. Participants are encouraged to reflect on their present and future, restoring a sense of continuity and personal authorship within highly structured environments. Results We focus on the Italian case study led by the University of Pisa and ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, carried out in the prisons of Pisa and Milan (Italy). It will examine recruitment strategies, gender-sensitive practices, and the collaborative work with both PLPs and prison staff. Attention will be given to ethical facilitation, the creation of neutral and inclusive spaces, and the challenges of implementing participatory methods in settings marked by surveillance and institutional control. Discussion By amplifying the voices of structurally excluded populations, this participatory intervention contributes to the co-creation of meaningful health education while fostering inclusion, dignity, and transformative potential within carceral spaces.