Abstract

The team of University of Lincoln researchers was commissioned in 2021 by the Prison Governor’s Association (PGA) – the professional body for prison operational managers and governor grades in the UK – to help them build a better understanding of the health and wellbeing of their members. This is particularly important because the Prison Service is not an ordinary workplace, with staff exposed to different and substantial daily pressures. Using qualitative interviews, the multidisciplinary team – bringing together expertise in psychology, health, law, and criminology – spoke to 63 PGA members to explore how participants described their health and wellbeing at work, what mechanisms of support were available, and how they felt about their current role. This short report captures an overview of the findings, based on analysis of the qualitative research. Further detail can be found in the full project report, available by contacting the authors using the details at the end of this report.