East Midlands Knowledge Network: Routes To University Expertise

 

Whatton Prison

Public Services Management

Description and aims

This SIS project was led by Dr Belinda Winder, School of Social Sciences. The partner was Whatton Prison. The project arose after Whatton Prison contacted Dr Winder to see if she would be interested in having the Deputy Governor come and give a Careers talk for final-year students. At the talk, the Deputy Governor and Dr Winder discussed the expansion plans of Whatton Prison and the implications of the expansion. The Deputy Governor expressed an interest in exploring the implications of the planned expansion – as well as supporting research into their sex offender treatment programmes. The SIS bid was developed in order to start to build collaborative links between the University and Whatton prison.

About Whatton Prison

HMP Whatton is the largest prison and treatment site of sex offenders in Europe.

How the project is being undertaken

The project explored the potential for effective research as a joint activity between the Prison and NTU, through a series of seminar meetings involving Whatton and University staff.

Impacts and benefits

This SIS project was extremely successful. Recent outcomes include:

  • The development of a centre of excellence and expertise in the field of sex offenders and sex crimes – the Sexual Offences, Crime and Misconduct Research Unit (SOCAMRU) – established at NTU.
  • A highly competitive Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) CASE studentship awarded for a doctoral student to study denial by sex offenders.
  • A final year BSc Psychology student was given agreement to research effects of the prison’s expansion on staff (for example, on potential stress and burnout).
  • An academic journal article is in progress on the expansion itself and will be submitted to the British Journal of Criminology on completion.
  • A further CASE application has been submitted to ESRC (conversational analysis around issues of consent with adult rapists).
  • More publications and applications to the ESRC/Leverhulme for research grants are currently in development… for example, the prison is currently considering a proposal to conduct an IPA analysis of internet offenders.

Whatton Prison has found the collaboration with NTU to be extremely helpful. Highlights include:

  • The ESRC CASE PhD studentship now underway is anticipated to help the prison manage sex offenders in denial, facilitating their inclusion on to the main SOTP (sex offender treatment programme).
*The collaboration is expected to lead to more research programmes being developed by SOCAMRU and the prison, with a particular focus on research that results in practical applications.
  • The research being conducted on the potential effects of the prison’s expansion upon staff should be of considerable benefit to the prison.

Peter Wright, Governor of Whatton Prison said: ‘Whatton is a leader in the delivery of accredited Sex Offender Treatment Programmes. The partnership with NTU will enable us to assist in research that can lead to further innovations in this high profile area.’

The SIS project has provided huge potential for long-term research collaboration between the prison and the University. So far staff from Psychology, Criminology and Social Policy have been able to come together to develop expertise and to initiate a range of new research projects as part of the SOCAMRU. Additionally, new members of staff have been employed to conduct research and new research students have been recruited as a consequence of successful research bids.

‘The SIS project has been extremely useful as a catalyst as we develop our collaborative research with Whatton Prison.’ Dr Belinda Winder
For more information about the project

If you would like to hear more about this project please contact Dr Belinda Winder, Division of Psychology, School of Social Sciences:

Email: Belinda.Winder@ntu.ac.uk
Telephone: 0115 848 5525

Duration

45 weeks

University

Nottingham Trent University

Academic Lead

Dr Belinder Winder

School of Social Sciences

Contact

Dr Belinda Winder

0115 848 5525