Success within a UK open prison and surviving the ‘pains of freedom’

Abstract

Category D open prisons mark a critical juncture of a prisoner's sentence as they near the end of imprisonment and reach the cusp of release. Such establishments aim to support prisoner reentry by offering greater freedom and autonomy. A greater understanding of the reality of life within an open establishment and exactly how these conditions support prisoner re-entry is needed. This study is made up of interviews with 11 prisoners residing in a UK open prison.Interviews were analysed qualitatively using interpretative phenomenological analysis which revealed two superordinate themes: 'redemption through active citizenship' and 'coping with invisible boundaries'. These themes are unpacked and their relevance to prisoner re-entry are discussed. The study found that greater freedom and autonomy encouraged reciprocal support amongst residents. Participants discuss strategies they utilise to help them to cope with the 'pains of freedom'. Implications for supporting individuals in their transformation from prisoner to citizen within an open establishment are highlighted and suggestions for future research offered.

‘A whole new world …’: Exploring transcarceral habitus and women's transition from a closed to an open prison

“…, 2016, 2019). However, studies have shown that the fragility of the open prison position is heightened by perceptions of zero tolerance approaches to non-compliance (Menis, 2021;Meško & Hacin, 2018;Statham, Winder & Micklethwaite, 2021). In this study, most women described living with this sense of fragility alongside the precarious nature of prison rules and dynamics.…”

“…To be deemed suitable for open conditions, policy guidance in the form of prison service instruction (PSI) 39/2011 sets out criteria for the categorisation and recategorisation of women, a process based on assessments of risk, trust and women's ‘appropriateness’ or level of adaptability to open conditions (Menis, 2021; Waite, 2023). Alongside this, processes of social filtration mean that people who are viewed as compliant, reject prison subcultures, and have positive relationships with staff are more likely to be chosen as appropriate for open conditions (Shammas, 2015; Statham, Winder & Micklethwaite, 2021; Waite, 2022). Notably, a large percentage of women are incarcerated for non‐violent offences and perceptions of risk and need, alongside the low number of open places, mean that they are subject to frequent over‐categorisation (Carlen & Worrall, 2004).…”

Trajectories of hope/lessness among men and women in the late stage of a life sentence

“…Consistent with Rodriguez-Hanley and Snyder (2000), the impact of feeling that release might never be achievable led some late-stagers to respond in ways which were clearly counter-productive to their goal. Such sentiments were redolent of the 'fuck it' attitudes of fatalism among probationers described by Halsey et al (2017), with some individuals professing to prefer the known entity of walled regimes than the heightened anxieties caused by being so close to release (Statham et al, 2021). For example, Harold could 'only take so much' of his cycle of compliance and denied progression, concluding that, at some point, he would just tell the prison to 'stick [their] Cat D right up [their] fucking arse and send me back to wherever you think is appropriate, because I give up'.…”

Contrasts in freedom: Comparing the experiences of imprisonment in open and closed prisons in England and Wales and Norway

“…The sociological literature on open prisons is therefore of particular relevance, detailing prisoners' adaptative strategies, staff-prisoner relationships, and the 'pains of freedom' (Abrahamsen, 2017;Lundeberg et al, 2018;Maier, 2020;Mjåland and Laursen, 2021;Neumann, 2012;Nielsen, 2012;Pakes, 2020;Pettersson, 2017;Shammas, 2014Shammas, , 2015aShammas, , 2015bStatham et al, 2020). A few studies in this area explore the potential for rehabilitation in open prisons.…”

“…However, the overwhelming majority of these studies have been conducted in high security prisons, where the deprivation of liberty is most acute. The exploration of low-security imprisonmentthe so called 'open prisons'has been absent in the literature on prisons and their effects with some notable exceptions (Abrahamsen, 2017;Lundeberg, Mjåland and Rye, 2018;Mjåland and Laursen, 2021;Neumann, 2012;Nielsen, 2012;Pakes, 2020;Pettersson, 2017;Shammas, 2014;Statham et al, 2020). While this skewed interest in high security prisons ('closed prisons') is understandable, given the dominance of this type of prison globally, it nonetheless reveals a missed opportunity to empirically explore the degree to which open and closed prisons share the 'basic similarities' and 'fundamental processes' Sykes alluded to.…”