Search results

The purpose of this paper is to consider the impact having been in a gang has on being in a group in a democratic therapeutic community (DTC). In particular what characteristics attract (in this case) males to join a gang and or group, and what is the impact on a DTC of having former gang members in it.

The paper is a discussion paper considering the implications of the points raised above. It also includes results of research relating to the “Changing the Game” programme.

The findings result from experience of having worked in the environment, reviewing available literature, conducting research and having managed some of the issues raised. It is not a research paper but does present findings.

This is a conceptual paper which incorporates findings from this author and others on the impact of gangs in a DTC. There is limited research in this area and so much is drawn from findings in other settings.

Little is written on the impact of having been in a gang and the dynamics that introduces in a forensic DTC. Therefore, it is hoped that it will encourage further research in this area.

Rates of suicide in custodial settings continued to rise in the year 2013/2014. Consequently, the Division of Forensic Psychology funded training on “working with risk of suicide” which was delivered by Dr Slade at HMP Grendon. Due to the increasing prevalence of suicide in custodial settings, a review of this training was considered important to enhance professionals’ awareness of self-harm and suicide. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

The review begins with an introduction to the concepts of self-harm and suicide, and an introduction to where the training was held; HMP Grendon, a therapeutic community prison. The four key topics delivered by Dr Slade are then explored with regards to their aims and content. These topics include; the link between self-harm and suicide, why offenders harm themselves, assessment of suicide and finally, care planning. Residents of HMP Grendon also discussed their views of self-harm and suicide during the training day, these are thus explored within this review. Strength and weaknesses of the training were also explored, in addition to future practice considerations.

This review highlights the comprehensiveness of the training and its ability to engage the audience through discussions and activities. The collaboration between professionals and HMP Grendon residents to understand self-harm and suicide was also particularly noted.

This paper offers insight into the staff-resident collaboration at HMP Grendon and how training on self-harm and suicide can be delivered.

This paper aims to describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on a prison-based therapeutic community (TC).

The paper takes the form of a case study where the authors reflect on their current practice, using the findings of research on social isolation and the overarching TC principles to explore the effect of the pandemic on the TC at HMP Grendon. The authors consider how the residents and staff adjusted to the change as the parameters changed when the social distancing rules were imposed and how they adapted to the prolonged break to therapy. Sections in the paper were written by a resident and an operational member of staff. The authors conclude with their thoughts on how to manage the consequences the lockdown has brought and start to think about what returning to “normality” might mean.

The paper describes the adjustments made by the residents and staff as the UK Government imposed the lockdown. The authors, including a resident and an operational member of staff comment on the psychological and practical impact these adjustments had. The thought is given to the idea of “recovery”, returning to “normality” and how this study can be best managed once restrictions are lifted.

At the time of writing, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at HMP Grendon. The measures and commitment from all staff and residents in the prison to keep the prison environment safe may in part account for this. This paper explores the effects of lockdown on the emotional environment in a TC and highlights the consequences that social isolation can have on any individual. To the authors’ knowledge, there is currently no research undertaken on the impact of lockdown/social isolation on a TC. This research would be useful, as the authors postulate from reflections on current practice that the effects of the lockdown will be greater in a social therapy environment.

HMP Grendon started in 1962, as this time there have been no significant events that have meant the suspension of therapy for such a sustained period. It is, therefore, important that the impact of such is considered and reflected upon.

Much previous research has explored the impact of group work on the therapist. The purpose of this paper is to examine how group members tolerate the powerful material discussed in groups in a prison-based therapeutic community. The authors briefly describe the regime at HMP Grendon and previous research into the impact of group work on therapists.

A qualitative approach using a focus group was used to explore the impact of group work from the perspective of the group members. Themes emerging from the focus group were analysed using thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006). Participants included adult male violent and sexual offenders (n=10). The focus group was facilitated by two therapists, both based within HMP Grendon.

Overarching themes emerged from the data which included – the type of material that has an impact on residents; the impact of this material on group members; and how residents manage it. A series of subthemes within these were identified, with salient themes including: the difficulty in listening to others offence histories and past experiences, managing the feelings of guilt and shame which can be overwhelming, feeling vulnerable/exposed, experiencing positive feelings for the first time as well as the benefits of therapy in eliciting change.

Uniquely the current study explores the impact of group therapy from the perspective of the group members. This is a previously unexplored area of research. As the study was conducted on a prison sample, it is unclear how well the findings would generalise to other populations. As such it is recommended that further research be conducted to validate the findings here.

The present study indicates that group members process transference and counter-transference similar to therapists. It is suggested that therapists can use these findings to build resilience in group members.

Previous research has described the impact of group work on therapists, uniquely this paper goes on to describe how group members process the material they are exposed to and how they manage their heightened emotions rather than acting on them. This should help therapists consider how best to develop resilience in group members.

The Psychopathy Checklist‐Revised is used in forensic and clinical settings to give an indication of the level of psychopathy an individual presents. The use of the PCL‐R with offenders with a learning disability (LD) is understudied. The current study aims to replicate a study by Morrissey (2003) which focused on the problems arising from assessing an LD service sample from Rampton Hospital. The results may suggest that the PCL‐R may be used reliably with offenders with low intellectual functioning.