Research opportunities for prisons

AMICABLE: Addressing Mental health In Custody A Brief Learning Environment

The AMICABLE study will evaluate a Peer-led Problem Support Mentoring Scheme (PSMS) in prisons. The study team will examine a toolkit to implement the PSMS in prisons, and assess whether the PSMS can improve quality of life, symptoms of depression, and NHS resource use. It will also look at whether it reduces the number of self-harm and violent incidents. The study team will assess the cost-effectiveness of the PSMS and evaluate whether it makes a difference to people following release from prison using a ‘through the gate’ volunteering opportunity. 

Prison staff and prisoners will be involved in making changes and deciding how the scheme should run in their prison site. Prisoners, an ex-prisoner, and an external service user group will tell people about their involvement in the study. 

Requirements:

Researchers from the Universities of York and Leeds will collaborate with an ex-prisoner representative, a prison service lead, the prison radio association, a third sector organization, one social enterprise, one private healthcare provider, one NHS Trust and multiple prison sites.