Can trauma-informed practice be achieved in mainstream male prison settings?

This chapter outlines the approach to both trauma-informed care and trauma-focused therapy implemented across several prison-based Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) services in England. The authors describe the general principles of care and specific interventions implemented at the level of the individual service participant, the staff group and the wider prison system. The key challenges inherent in this work are discussed, including those that relate to the often-challenging penal context in which they are delivered. Despite these challenges, the authors argue for the importance of retaining a focus on a trauma-informed model of working, highlighting the potential benefits that such an approach can deliver.