Abstract:The number of people recalled to custody in England and Wales has increased in recent years. Improving successful re‐release by engaging people in an effective recall process would achieve better outcomes for prisons, probation, and the public. Analysing in‐depth accounts of seven men, recall was experienced as painful and damaging rather than rehabilitative, lacking in credibility and legitimacy, and as a process faced alone. Progression was inhibited by hopelessness and powerlessness. Some expressed motivati… Show more
“…This expands on previous findings that people recalled on other sentences sometimes disengage from probation to protect themselves against adverse consequences (Digard, 2010; Fitzalan Howard, 2019). Avoiding openness with probation might make people feel safer in the short‐term, but could prevent access to necessary support, increasing long‐term prospects of recall.…”
Section: Resultssupporting
confidence: 85%
“…Corroborating previous research (Fitzalan Howard, 2019; Padfield, 2013) participants often felt powerlessness about re‐release. They were frustrated by long waits for parole hearings and courses, and judgements about their needs and risks:It's like looking at clouds, you can see any shape you want.…”
Section: Resultssupporting
confidence: 60%
“…Fitzalan Howard (2019, p. 191) documented a man actively defying licence conditions, preferring prison to ‘semi‐freedom’. However, he knew that, having served his whole determinate sentence in prison, he would be free from probation supervision.…”
Section: Resultsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…One‐quarter of Digard's (2010) participants (people with sexual convictions recalled on extended sentences) displayed depressive symptoms, and almost half felt more emotionally stable in prison due to anxiety about recall on licence. Fitzalan Howard (2019) documents emotional difficulties following recall and a preference for imprisonment amongst some determinately sentenced men subject to standard recall. Padfield's (2013) research with recalled prisoners serving life, extended and determinate sentences also documents the weight of licence conditions.…”
Background: Despite its abolition in 2012, the indeterminate sentence of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) still casts a long shadow over the justice system. Recall is a growing problem: In June 2020, there were 1,359 recalled IPP prisoners. Research documents the negative mental health implications of initial imprisonment under an IPP sentence; however, little is known about experiences on licence, or post-recall. Aims: To explain how recalled IPP prisoners perceive being on licence, and in prison post-recall, to affect their mental wellbeing. Methods: We draw on 31 interviews with recalled IPP prisoners, conducted for a wider project exploring the high rates of IPP recall. Results: Three themes emerged: a perpetual state of anxiety about recall and spending additional years behind bars; self-imposed social isolation, both in the community and in prison; and a profound sense of hopelessness. People often feel trapped in an unjust and inevitable cycle of imprisonment, with little faith in a positive future. Conclusions: The government must make structural changes to stop the revolving door of IPP recall. In the short term, confidential mental health support should be available to people serving IPPs in prison and the community.
“…This expands on previous findings that people recalled on other sentences sometimes disengage from probation to protect themselves against adverse consequences (Digard, 2010; Fitzalan Howard, 2019). Avoiding openness with probation might make people feel safer in the short‐term, but could prevent access to necessary support, increasing long‐term prospects of recall.…”
Section: Resultssupporting
confidence: 85%
“…Corroborating previous research (Fitzalan Howard, 2019; Padfield, 2013) participants often felt powerlessness about re‐release. They were frustrated by long waits for parole hearings and courses, and judgements about their needs and risks:It's like looking at clouds, you can see any shape you want.…”
Section: Resultssupporting
confidence: 60%
“…Fitzalan Howard (2019, p. 191) documented a man actively defying licence conditions, preferring prison to ‘semi‐freedom’. However, he knew that, having served his whole determinate sentence in prison, he would be free from probation supervision.…”
Section: Resultsmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…One‐quarter of Digard's (2010) participants (people with sexual convictions recalled on extended sentences) displayed depressive symptoms, and almost half felt more emotionally stable in prison due to anxiety about recall on licence. Fitzalan Howard (2019) documents emotional difficulties following recall and a preference for imprisonment amongst some determinately sentenced men subject to standard recall. Padfield's (2013) research with recalled prisoners serving life, extended and determinate sentences also documents the weight of licence conditions.…”
Background: Despite its abolition in 2012, the indeterminate sentence of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) still casts a long shadow over the justice system. Recall is a growing problem: In June 2020, there were 1,359 recalled IPP prisoners. Research documents the negative mental health implications of initial imprisonment under an IPP sentence; however, little is known about experiences on licence, or post-recall. Aims: To explain how recalled IPP prisoners perceive being on licence, and in prison post-recall, to affect their mental wellbeing. Methods: We draw on 31 interviews with recalled IPP prisoners, conducted for a wider project exploring the high rates of IPP recall. Results: Three themes emerged: a perpetual state of anxiety about recall and spending additional years behind bars; self-imposed social isolation, both in the community and in prison; and a profound sense of hopelessness. People often feel trapped in an unjust and inevitable cycle of imprisonment, with little faith in a positive future. Conclusions: The government must make structural changes to stop the revolving door of IPP recall. In the short term, confidential mental health support should be available to people serving IPPs in prison and the community.
“…People in prison have described the recall experience as unfair and unjust. They speak of this lacking collaboration and clear and understandable decision-making, and decisions seeming (at times) to be inconsistent and personal (Fitzalan Howard, 2019). Variations in PJ perceptions by gender, age, and ethnicity raise questions of whether this reflects objective differences in how groups are treated.…”
Procedural justice (PJ) theory suggests that if incarcerated people perceive their treatment to be fair and just, greater acceptance of staff authority, less misconduct, better mental health, and improved recidivism outcomes will follow. This study developed a measure of and explored PJ perceptions for people in English and Welsh prisons. Factor analysis was used to create a 27-item PJ measure, using data from around 20,000 people who completed the Measuring quality of prison life survey during a 4-year period. The measure had good internal consistency. We found differences in perceptions across groups of people and prison types. Poorer perceptions were weakly associated with self-harm and attempted suicide. There was a negative association between perceptions and misbehavior/incidents in custody, although PJ perceptions were not a significant predictor of incidents.
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