Healthy prison cultures: factors influencing male prisoners’ engagement in exercise and subsequent healthy behaviours

Hannah Hammond, Rosie Meek, Emily Glorney

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors which influence male prisoners’ motivation for, and engagement in, exercise and subsequent healthy behaviours.

Design/methodology/approach - The first authors conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with male prisoners inside an English medium-security male prison. Interviews were recorded and transcribed, themes were identified using thematic analysis and a critical realist perspective applied to understand objective processes behind prisoners’ experiences and shared meanings of exercise and engaging in healthy behaviours in prison.

Findings - Emerging themes indicate that in the context of healthy behaviours male prisoners aspired to a masculine ideal that was characterised by a culture of either adaptive behaviours, or maladaptive behaviours. The former fostered an adaptive exercise culture which promoted psychological well-being through an autonomy-supportive environment, consequently internalising motivation and minimising perceived barriers to engaging in healthy behaviours. Conversely, a culture of maladaptive behaviours fostered a maladaptive exercise culture which led to negative psychological well-being, underpinned by external forms of motivation which emphasised barriers to engaging in healthy behaviours.

Practical implications - Findings emphasise the need for prisons to promote an internal perceived locus of control for male prisoners when engaging in healthy behaviours.

Originality/value - The authors adopt a rare interdisciplinary approach combining a psychological theory of motivation and criminological perspectives of prison culture to understand how best to minimise the impact of prisons as an institution on the psychological well-being of male prisoners.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)16-29
JournalInternational Journal of Prison Health
Volume20
Issue number1
Early online date15 Dec 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 6 Feb 2024
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Health in prison
  • Prisoners
  • Health promoting prison
  • Health promotion
  • Mental health
  • Qualitative research

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