Therapeutic Spaces Behind Bars: Eco-psychosocially Supportive Prisons and Forensic Psychiatric Wards

British Academy/Wellcome Trust Conferences bring together scholars and specialists from around the world to explore themes related to health and wellbeing.

Watch the recording of this conference on the British Academy's YouTube channel: day one | day two

This two-day conference will bring together scholars from different disciplines in the social sciences, health sciences, and the built environment to examine the biopsychosocial dynamics of prisons and forensic psychiatric institutions. Participants will engage in discussions and debates about the influence of confined, secure environments on physical and mental health outcomes, as well as workshops exploring the creation of improved therapeutic secure spaces. The conference will aim to generate evidence-based insights concerning health and well-being within such spaces, designed to mitigate potential harm.

Building upon research into prisons, this conference will lay the groundwork for a new area of study focused on forensic built environments. Participants will investigate both the positive and negative effects of these places on people's health, along with their potential to diminish stigma through eco-psychosocial interventions. To further define and advance this emerging field, a working group will be formed during the conference, with the ultimate aim of producing future best practice guidelines.

Conference convenors:

Dr Alberto Urrutia-Moldes, University of Westminster

Dr Artemis Igoumenou, University College London

Dr Evangelia Chrysikou, University College London

Dr Helen Brown Coverdale, University College London

Speakers include:

Professor Giorgos Alevizopoulos, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Dr Callum Ross, Broadmoor Hospital

Dr William Bulow-O’Nils, Uppsala University

Roland Karthaus, University of East London

Professor Dominique Moran, University of Birmingham

Dr Jonas Rehn-Groenendijk, Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences

Dr Clarine van Oel, Delft University of Technology

Dr Geraldine Brown, Coventry University

Dr Hasanen Al-Taiar, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust

Professor Eleni Palazidou, University of Nicosia Medical School

Professor Nigel Blackwood, Kings College London

Dr Helen Brown Coverdale, University College London

Dr Mary Davoren, Trinity College Dublin

Sophie Verschueren, FPC Antwerp

Dr Caroline Parker, University College London

Professor Mardelle McCuskey Shepley, Cornell University

Dr Naomi Sachs, University of Maryland

Dr Jane Biddulph, University College London

Andrew Gibson, West London Mental Health Trust

Francis Murdock Pitts, Principal, architecture+

Eleftheria Savvopoulou, SynThesis Architects

Bibi Masala, Barnet, Enfield & Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust

Abigail Anane-Forkuo, Barnet, Enfield & Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust

Sara Boulter, North London Forensic Service, Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust, UK

Sarah Hill, Barnet, Enfield & Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust

Dr Carolyn Stanley, Barnet, Enfield & Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust

Helena Pombares, Pick Everard

Daryia Palityka, University College London

Please book online for this event using the booking link above. Conference ticket prices:

• In-person: admission £40 per day (£80 for both days).
• In-person: concessions £20 per day (£40 for both days).
• Online admission: £10 per day (£20 for both days).
• Online concessions: £6 per day (£12 for both days).

A conference programme will be added closer to the event.

Funded by the Wellcome Trust

If you have any questions about this event, please refer to our events FAQs or email [email protected]

Image: Alberto Urrutia-Moldes, Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola Camp B).