Growth – an emerging new philosophy, to transform culture in detention

Figure 1: Principles of Growth Wheel 

 

In this blog written for PRI, the authors Makayla Agyemang and Dr Sarah Lewis from UK-based Penal Reform Solutions, present the “Growth Project” that they have implemented in English prisons to foster rehabilitative relationships between people detained and staff in prison facilities. The project is based on Dr Lewis’ research in Norway, which captured the values that underpin their humane approach to imprisonment.

 

Creating a positive, healthy prison culture that supports effective rehabilitation and social reintegration remains a real challenge internationally, due to a range of issues.  English prisons have made some headway in creating more growth-centred spaces for people in prison (see HMP Grendon as an example), but this wave of success is temporary and not deep rooted or consistent across the system as a whole.  With the need to address overcrowding, staff capacity issues, poor mental health among the prison population, and the harms from isolation, especially after COVID 19, some prisons find themselves in a difficult space as they become overwhelmed by a reactive culture, absent of the relationships that make them safe.  Staff are tired too.  Burnt out, disillusioned and struggling to recover from the pandemic, as regimes become more open and rehabilitative activities start again. 

There is also a sense that culture change is situated heavily on the shoulders of the leaders, leaving culture change fragile and temperamental, largely dictated by leaders’ ideologies around rehabilitation and what matters [1].   

Against this backdrop, the Growth Project led by Penal Reform Solutions focuses on rehabilitative relationships, which are positive, hopeful, and supportive. It has been demonstrated that creating a healthy culture can increase hope, contributing to a better environment within prisons [2, 3].

To reduce the dehumanising feeling commonly felt among people in prison, the Growth Project focuses on celebrating success, learning from mistakes with a growth mindset and working together to create sustainable solutions to cultivate meaningful spaces within prisons, both for staff and people in prison. With personal development as its focus, the Growth Project aims to find and create new insights into people’s lives, to give purpose. It encourages the prison population to take an active role in cultural development, with every member of the community, and their contributions, valued equally.  

The Growth Project was created based on findings from a Norwegian research project by Dr Sarah Lewis, Director of Penal Reform Solutions Ltd (PRS Ltd) and Grow Transform Belong CIC (GTB CIC). The research critically examined the values that underpin effective penal practice to understand how culture can promote an environment where prison staff and people detained can effectively grow, professionally and on a personal level.  

The main aims of the Growth Project are to:  

• Identify, examine, and analyse techniques that foster professional and personal development in prison settings.  
• Listen to the perspectives of individuals detained and working in prison, to motivate and encourage growth.  
• Utilise these perspectives to make lasting, significant improvements.  

This work is informed by the Principles of Growth; a clear way of working that nurtures the key elements of effective penal environments (see below). These were created following Dr Lewis’s research in penal environments in Norway, which captured the values that underpin their practices and the impact of these practices, through photo-essays.  Norway has an international reputation for its low reconviction rates, its comparably humane approach to prison and a focus on the “principle of normalisation” (see Rule 5 of the UN Nelson Mandela Rules), mirroring the community inside prisons to prepare those in prison effectively to be a good neighbour.  The Principles of Growth focus on what allows people to grow within a correctional environment, moving away from rehabilitation and desistance and considering all those who enter a carceral space, including staff, visitors, prisoners, and families.  

Through the Growth Project, the principles are translated into practice in the specific context of a given prison.  They are responsively and practically applied to a variety of contexts, acknowledging that every prison is different and at a different stage of cultural development.  These principles focus on appreciating the current needs of the prison community and brightening these principles incrementally, to nurture long term growth. Throughout the Growth Project, support is given, each suggestion is reviewed, and progress is jointly celebrated. Leadership coaching and specialised training is designed based on current needs and prison governors have expressed their appreciation for the independent nature of the work, giving them a place to express themselves safely and without fear of repercussions.  

Staff and people in prison who have belonged to the Growth Team are offered life-long membership and viewed as a family, with a shared goal of social action and reform. This support is unconditional and a significant amount of those who belong to the Growth Team in prison now work in various capacities for PRS or GTB CIC. This work includes volunteering, mentoring and paid positions, including leadership roles within the organisations. Projects they work on include the preventative Youth Initiative, “Grow 2 Go,” which nurtures the Principles of Growth with those at risk of offending, as well as lived experience research and consultancy. Currently, there are 170 members of the Growth Team internationally, including prison staff, people in prison and those released from prison, family members and friends in the UK, Albania, North Macedonia, and the Middle East. The sense of belonging built around the Growth Project has helped to bring about transformative, sustainable and lasting change that can reshape mindsets of those within a prison culture, providing a form of stability through life’s challenges after release.  

The impact of the Growth Project has been documented internally, and most recently in the Journal Advancing Corrections. Emerging themes have highlighted the importance of understanding the needs and context of those the Project has helped, creating a sense of meaning and belonging. The Growth Project has taken place in England (HMP Guys Marsh, HMP Hewell, HMP Chelmsford, HMP Low Newton and HMP Isis) and have contributed to a significant reduction in violence and harm whilst also supporting staff retention and wellbeing.  These findings are captured across these prisons which have engaged in a three-year project, though smaller, focused projects also take place around staff wellbeing and the mental wellbeing of people in prison at HMP Isle of Wight, HMP Bristol and HMP Gartree.   

The challenge with culture change is that it takes time, patience and needs to be embedded fully, to have lasting outcomes. 

Establishing a deep-rooted, sustainable culture in any environment is a long-term goal; the cultural change programme is implemented over two years with a further six months dedicated to ensuring it is embedded in everyday practice, in order thata prison is better equipped when faced with inevitable challenges and changes in leadership. It is however expected that culture change continues beyond the Growth Project, with connections being retained with the prison to support them as they grow (and experience challenges).  That said, in a recent Growth Project, a 60% reduction in violence took place within the first nine months due to staff buy-in, excellent leadership and a dedication to cultural change.  This highlights the need for the right conditions and recognising the importance of readiness and timing, throughout the process.  

The Growth Project continues to support positive changes to people’s lives and correctional organisations. Services and support is also carried out in schools, approved premises, prisons and internationally, training prison leaders. This includes cultural work in Europe and the Middle East and Growth work (programmes, support, and training) in 15 approved premises in England, five prisons in the UK and five European countries.  Campaigns are carried out regularly, to raise awareness around the issues linked to prisons and focus primarily on solution-focused initiatives, approaching these collaboratively with other passionate organisations and individuals in the Growth Alliance; a free network for people who want to change the conversation around punishment and strive for an effective system that promotes growth for practitioners and service users.   

The Growth Project highlights the value of relationships and how our relationships can bring about change and cultural development. Building a solid foundation is necessary for lasting rehabilitative outcomes for staff, people in prison, their significant others, and in finding lasting solutions to longstanding challenges. To achieve sustainable change, cultural work must be supported at higher levels of government and throughout our society, to make humane spaces for growth, safe places of work for staff and ultimately safer communities for all. 

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[1] Cristofaro, M. et al. (2023) ‘Self and shared leadership in decision quality: a tale of two sides’, Management Decision, 61(9), pp. 2541–2563. doi:10.1108/MD-05-2022-0735.

[2] Lewis, S & Hands, E. (2022). Growth- An emerging philosophy, to transform correctional culture. Advancing Corrections Journal, 14, 2-21.

[3] Mann, R.E., & Fitzalan-Howard, F. (2018). What is a rehabilitative prison culture? Prison Service Journal, 235, 3-9

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Penal Reform Solutions is an organisation that supports cultural change, providing training, advice, and projects to promote social good and reduce social harm.