Em Brenner they/them

Working title of PhD: Examining the health and well-being needs and experiences of long-term prisoners in Scotland prior to, during imprisonment and through release

Institution: University of Strathclyde

Funding Source: University Chief Scientist Office

Year Commenced: 2024

Full or part-time: Full-time

Supervisors: Cara Jardine, Beth Weaver and Fern Gillon

Synopsis of PhD: 

Comprising of a quasi-longitudinal study, this project will follow long-term Scottish prisoners during imprisonment, on the cusp of and through release to identify key health and wellbeing needs and barriers. Scottish prison inmates are facing rising health inequalities, especially those transitioning back into their communities. Barriers to healthcare accessibility alongside the impact of imprisonment on the health and wellbeing of inmates contributes to a growing gap in healthcare accessibility for an already marginalised group. Scotland’s health-justice nexus, which explores the places and processes via which criminal justice and healthcare intersects, is largely under-examined. Identifying healthcare needs and the impact of imprisonment on health and wellbeing is crucial to furthering understanding of this nexus and closing the healthcare inequality gap.

Healthcare needs vary greatly, often dependent on the prison itself and accessibility to routine and appropriate care, the specific medical needs of the individual, and factors such as age, gender, and social inequalities. Accessibility to healthcare within prisons may come with barriers as a result of staff shortages, inability to manage complex and chronic conditions, and poor infrastructure leading to long waiting times and discontinued care. Following release, individuals may find difficulty in establishing a healthcare network– for some, prisons enable access to healthcare with greater ease than when in communities, with some reports noting a higher usage of healthcare in prisons in comparison.

Experiences may vary, but healthcare inequality arises before, during, and/or after this transition as a result of incarceration. A heightened risk of drug deaths, homelessness, and suicides have been identified following release often as a result of healthcare inequality. These factors highlight the importance of understanding the impact of imprisonment and release on this group, and how better to address their health and wellbeing needs.

Keywords: Healthcare, imprisonment, re-entry