Prisoner perceptions of safety across custodial environments

Purpose Maintaining safety in prisons remains an integral priority for authorities as well as being conducive to rehabilitation. However, safety is both an objective and subjective construct. Official data measure tangible, recordable and often more extreme instances of unsafety. Whilst objective events are undoubtedly correlated with subjective safety, they are only a proxy and unlikely to capture the full experience. Safety is also a psychological and subjective phenomenon, influenced by individuals’ perceptions and internal states. Therefore, although exposure to measurable incidents may influence feelings of safety, it is possible to feel unsafe without ever having been involved in an event captured by official data. In addition, while there is variability in ‘official’ safety across similar prisons, it is unclear how this translates into prisoners’ perceptions of different prisons. Therefore, this study aims to explore prisoner’s perceptions of safety across establishments within England. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six prisoners who had spent time in at least two prisons and who were currently residing in a single category B establishment to describe what makes a prison feel safe or unsafe. Findings Thematic analysis identified four themes: relationships, deterrents, environment and the psychological side of safety, which are discussed within the context of the socioecological model. Practical implications This research identifies key areas on which to build, to maintain/increase feelings of safety amongst prisoners. Originality/value Findings indicate that variations in perceived safety were not solely attributable to differences between establishments but were strongly influenced by individual perceptions.