The research was undertaken in partnership with HM Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS) and Creating Future Opportunities (CFO). The study was conducted in four prisons piloting the CFO wing model, focussing on evaluating the peer support role opportunities made available.
Findings show that peer mentoring in CFO model prison wings had a positive impact on the social culture of the wing, raising residents’ future aspirations and supporting their engagement with skills and training programmes.
The CFO wing model provides a specialist team of staff and a programme of meaningful activities, as well as creating peer mentor or other peer support role opportunities for wing residents. The aim of the CFO wing model is to create a sense of community on the wing so residents can concentrate their efforts on realising a crime-free, pro-social future.
Peer mentoring is an unpaid volunteer role taken on by serving prison residents to promote growth, advancement, hope and empowerment amongst their peers. It also offers residents the opportunity to gain an accredited mentoring qualification.
Dr Katherine Albertson, who led the study from Sheffield Hallam University, said: “Importantly, this study series highlights real world examples of how peer mentoring roles can contribute to prison wings that are resourced and delivered in a different, more strength-based positive way. While the academic literature remains vague about what a peer mentor in prison is and is not, the majority of the prison community engaging in our study had very clear role distinctions in place. Future research in this area will benefit from the clarity provided in this study, and work towards informing discrete peer support role in prison implementation guidance”.
Findings from across all sites showed that residents who took on peer mentor roles felt valued and had gained a sense of pride from taking on the responsibility: “Prison is probably the best place to do peer mentoring- it’s where it’s needed most.... There is something in it, prison needs changing, so maybe the peer mentoring is the best place to start with making that change” (Mitchell*, peer mentor interviewed as part of the research).
The peer mentors on the wings acted as positive role models for other residents and helped to encourage others to engage with the CFO programme of activities and supported their participation in group activities: “Girls have said how we’re their inspiration, you know and things like that, and they look up to us.” (Anjali*, peer mentor interviewed as part of the research).
Wider CFO wing residents, not directly involved in the peer mentor initiatives also reported benefits. In interviews multiple residents said they felt that peer mentors helped create a community environment on the wing and helped residents build confidence:
“We’ve supported each other through the course. Without peer mentors I used to supress, push all my stuff down and be the class clown cause I’m scared of my feelings but not anymore” (Marina, CFO wing resident interviewed as part of the research).
“You’re actually learning new things. I’ve learned not to just sit and be quiet all the time, like to actually join in activities, before I was afraid to join in whereas here I’m not because you don’t get embarrassed. It’s definitely made me more confident and determined.” (Richard, wing resident interviewed as part of the research).
As part of the evaluation, researchers came up with recommendations for each prison to help them improve and capitalise on their CFO wing peer mentors. These recommendations included creating opportunities for residents to gain external accreditation, creating a wider peer role progression structure and mapping opportunities for progression.
The research took place across four category C prisons in the UK; HMP Risley in Cheshire, HMP Holme House in County Durham, HMP Drake Hall in Staffordshire and HMP High Down in Surrey.
Marek Musiol, Research and Statistics Lead at HMPPS CFO said: “It is thanks to Katherine and her team that the CFO have been given an evidence base from the wing pilots to allow CFO to understand and document the programmes, as well as identify areas of good practice and where the programme can improve. Using this information and the realistic recommendations given by Katherine, the CFO have been able to further develop these pilots into the recently commissioned CFO Evolution project which commenced delivery in August 2024. The learnings from the evaluation have helped to develop the four pilot wing programme as well as allow CFO to commission a further 10 specialised wings throughout English prisons.”
All reports are available on the Sheffield Hallam University website.
