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“When you’ve been living in darkness, the light suddenly becomes frightening” – prisoners’ experiences of health promotion in a Norwegian prison

Stein Egil Kolderup Hervik (Faculty of Humanities, Sports and Educational Science, University of South-Eastern Norway – Campus Vestfold, Horten, Norway)
Astrid Kolderup Hervik (Faculty of Humanities, Sports and Educational Science, University of South-Eastern Norway – Campus Vestfold, Horten, Norway)
Trine Thoresen (Faculty of Humanities, Sports and Educational Science, University of South-Eastern Norway – Campus Vestfold, Horten, Norway)
Miranda Thurston (Faculty of Social and Health Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Elverum, Norway)

International Journal of Prison Health

ISSN: 2977-0254

Article publication date: 3 December 2024

27

Abstract

Purpose

A settings-based approach to health promotion emphasizes everyday environments in shaping health. Prisons are, therefore, potentially important arenas for health promotion. However, the inherent restriction of prisoner agency presents a fundamental challenge in this regard. There is a gap in qualitative research on prisoners’ perspectives on health-related topics and a need for greater understanding of health promotion within prisons. This study aims to explore male prisoners’ experiences of a Norwegian low-security prison as a setting for health promotion.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was conducted in Forest Prison, a Norwegian low-security facility for 125 male prisoners. The prison offers various amenities and activities to prepare inmates for reintegration into society. The research used semi-structured interviews with 20 diverse prisoners. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using Gale et al.'s framework method.

Findings

This study revealed varied prisoner perspectives on Forest Prison as a setting for health promotion. In prisoners’ talk, the importance of agency was evident. Restricted agency triggered negative emotions and distrust, while extended agency fostered trust and wellbeing. Although Forest Prison provides a considerable degree of agency, some prisoners did not fully benefit from this agentic context because of disparities in resources.

Originality/value

Initiatives across three areas of action will strengthen Forest Prison as a setting for health promotion: extending agency, empowering prisoners and developing a prison culture with positive social relationships, effective communication and information flow. The findings of this study provide theoretical insights beyond the specific context, which can serve as a basis for developing prisons as health promoting settings.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the Norwegian Correctional Service and Forest Prison for facilitating this research project. Furthermore, they would like to thank the resource group of inmates for their efforts and valuable insights during the preparation, recruitment, and analysis phases. Authors would also like to show their gratitude to the resource group of staff members at Forest Prison who contributed during the planning phase.

Citation

Hervik, S.E.K., Hervik, A.K., Thoresen, T. and Thurston, M. (2024), "“When you’ve been living in darkness, the light suddenly becomes frightening” – prisoners’ experiences of health promotion in a Norwegian prison", International Journal of Prison Health, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPH-05-2024-0026

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited

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