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Prison Service Delivery Beyond Lockdown: Lessons Learned from People in Prison and Staff in the Offender Personality Disorders Pathway During COVID-19
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Rachael Dagnall ,
Shadd Maruna ,
Aisling O’meara ,
Carine Lewis ,
Steven M. Gillespie ,
Andrew Jones ,
Matthew J. Tonkin ,
Jason Davies
Criminal Justice and Behavior
Swansea University Authors:
Laura Broome , Jason Davies
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PDF | Version of Record
© 2026 International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
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DOI (Published version): 10.1177/00938548261424375
Abstract
The Offender Personality Disorder Pathway (OPDP) in England and Wales supports individuals in prison with complex interpersonal and emotional regulation needs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this population faced heightened vulnerability, while prison officers encountered health risks, staffing short...
| Published in: | Criminal Justice and Behavior |
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| ISSN: | 0093-8548 1552-3594 |
| Published: |
SAGE Publications
2026
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| Online Access: |
Check full text
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa71510 |
| Abstract: |
The Offender Personality Disorder Pathway (OPDP) in England and Wales supports individuals in prison with complex interpersonal and emotional regulation needs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this population faced heightened vulnerability, while prison officers encountered health risks, staffing shortages, and increased psychological strain. To explore how people living and working in prison coped under these conditions, 24 people in prison and 10 officers involved in OPDP services across English prisons participated in semi-structured interviews between 2021 and 2023. Using reflexive thematic analysis we generated four themes: (a) From Cohesion to Disconnection; (b) Bridging Divides: Finding Empathy in Crisis; (c) Contrasting Reflections: Growth and Strain; and (d) Support Gaps in Time of Crisis. The pandemic intensified existing challenges, but relational practices in the OPDP helped buffer its worst effects. Findings underscore the importance of trauma-informed communication, reflective leadership, and staff training to sustain relational safety and resilience during future system-wide crises in prison. |
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| Keywords: |
trauma; behavior; prisoners; correctional staff; job satisfaction; mental health |
| College: |
Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences |
| Funders: |
Offender Personality Disorder Pathway Research and Evidence Hub; Economic and Social Research Council (ES/W000156/1) |