‘We’ve all got a big story’: Experiences of a Trauma‐Informed Intervention in Prison
Abstract
This article examines women’s experiences of participating in ‘Healing Trauma’; a gender-responsive, trauma-informed intervention delivered in women’s prisons in England. Victimisation and trauma are prevalent among women in the justice system but are not perceived to be amenable to criminal justice intervention, and there are compelling arguments that correctional environments are inappropriate settings for trauma-informed programmes. This article analyses focus group discussions with women who completed Healing Trauma to examine the legitimacy of developing trauma-informed practice in prisons. The women’s testimonies indicate that Healing Trauma offers a meaningful opportunity to begin to explore past victimisation that has contributed to their criminalisation.
MADELINE PETRILLO