Compliance and legitimacy in prison-based forensic psychology practices

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The proposed study is an ethnographic study of prison-based forensic psychology practice, using legitimacy as ananalytical framework. Psychology practices such as risk assessment and cognitive-behavioural programmes are now apervasive part of UK imprisonment. Prisoners' decisions to (not)comply with these practices carry heavy consequencesfor their release from prison. Therefore, prison psychologists wield considerable power. Theories of compliance withpsychology practices are limited to psychological explanations which insufficiently acknowledge power and penalcontext. Wider prison literature has used legitimacy as an organising concept for understanding prisoner(non)compliance and how power-holders respond. The study will explore prisoner (non)compliance with psychologypractices and its relationship to legitimacy, conceptualising psychologists as wielders of penal authority. It will use adialogic legitimacy framework to explore prisoner perceptions of legitimacy and how psychologists negotiate legitimacy.The study will observe 20-40 units of practice (e.g. a unit might be one assessment) in two Psychology teams, mixingobservation and conversations/short interviews with the prisoner and psychologist throughout each practice unit. In-depthinterviews will be conducted with a smaller number of prisoners/psychologists, structured around legitimacy. The studywill contribute knowledge on legitimacy negotiation in a practice central to risk-based criminal justice