Opportunities for change? An exploration of the masculinities and capabilities of men in prison and the effectiveness of educational interventions

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Many prisoners deal with the "pains of imprisonment" (Skyes, 1958) - such as emotional turmoil,deprivation and loneliness - by using behaviours which can be associated with extreme or problematicmasculinities (Taylor, das Nair & Braham, 2013) including violence, self-harm and excessive drug use.To give recent statistical evidence to support this phenomenon, Her Majesty's Prison Service (HMPS) hasseen record breaking levels of assault, death and self harm in recent years. The highest number ofdeaths in prisons in England & Wales were recorded in 2016- 354 in total. Self-harm is at an all-timerecord high; there were 40,414 reports of self harm in 2017 and 119 self-inflicted deaths. Assaults havealso continued to increase dramatically; there were 28,165 assault incidents in 2017, the highest numbersince records began (MoJ, Safety in Custody Statistics bulletin, 2018).There are two key research aims of this project. The first aim is to explore the identities, practices andbelief systems relating to the more extreme or problematic masculinities of men in prison and how thiscan affect their well-being or capabilities. The second aim is to explore whether existing educationalprovision addresses behaviours effectively, and whether there are genuine opportunities for prisoners todevelop and move forward with their lives.Sykes, G. (1958). The Society of Captives: A Study of a Maximum Security Prison. New Jersey: PrincetonUniversity PressTaylor, das Hair & Braham. (2013) Perpetrator and Victim Perceptions of Perpetrator's Masculinity as aRisk Factor for Violence In Aggression and Violent Behaviour (18:6)