The Prisoner Health and Wellbeing Conference 2025
Overview
The intersection of healthcare, wellbeing and human rights within prisons is a vital topic of conversation. With prisons at breaking point in terms of capacity, they face disproportionately high rates of physical and mental health challenges, yet access to quality care and wellbeing provisions remains inconsistent and often inadequate. Addressing these issues is not just a matter of justice but also a healthcare imperative:
Agenda
Registration
Chair’s Opening Remarks
Professor Matthew Callender, Director of the Institute for Public Safety, Crime and Justice, University of Northampton (CONFIRMED)
Keynote: The Impact on Prison Capacity Pressure and the Delivery of Essential Services
- Outlining the current government plans to reduce prison numbers and the impact this will have on accessibility/availability of mental health services for prisoners
- Considering the role of community sentences to reduce overpopulation
- Discussing social barriers prisoners have when accessing mental health services, such as double occupation of cells
- Highlighting the impact of long waiting lists for healthcare services in prisons
- Examining the impact of overcrowding in prisons on mental health
Andrew Neilson, Director of Campaigns, The Howard League (CONFIRMED)
Keynote: Reducing the Risk of Self-Harm and Suicide in Prisons
- Addressing why the rate of suicides and self-harm are increasing in prisons
- Taking lessons from the Samaritans Listener Scheme to support suicidal prisoners
- Educating prison staff on mental health and suicide prevention and equipping them to recognise warning signs, offer appropriate support, and create a safer environment for inmates
- Changing prison cultures to more compassionate environments to ensure prisoners feel comfortable in being open about their mental health challenges
- Ensuring trauma-informed services are available to prisoners
Gbemi Babalola, Evaluation Lead, Samaritans (CONFIRMED)
Femi Laryea-Adekimi, Lived Experience
Hanieh Mansourian, Lived Experience
Questions and Answers
Comfort Break
Case Study: Managing Seizure Cases in Prisons
Dr Alex Phillips, Functional neurological disorders (FND) Care Advisor,
St Georges and South West London and Surrey Neurosciences Network (CONFIRMED)
Case Study: Providing Prisoners with Access to Psychotherapy
- Deploying creative psychotherapy to support the mental health and wellbeing of prisoners
- Providing one-to-one mentoring services in custodial settings and people in contact with the Criminal Justice System
- Supporting young people in prison through innovative and evidenced based programmes
- Building relationships with prisoners to support their mental health and wellbeing
Esther Wanjie, CEO, Belong (CONFIRMED)
Questions and Answers
Lunch Break
Keynote: Substance Misuse in Prisoners
- Working in partnership with external stakeholders to deliver recovery programmes to support prisoners struggling with drug or alcohol addictions
- Supporting prisoners with drug recovery upon release to reduce the likelihood of reoffending
- Developing a community team to help prisoners reconnect with society, family, friends and other support pillars upon release
- Creating a drug recovery strategy in conjunction with tackling drug supply to keep prisoners safe from exposure to substance misuse
Mike Trace, CEO, The Forward Trust (CONFIRMED)
Case Study: Lived Experience and Evidence of Neurodiversity in Prisons
- How User Voice involves people with lived experience in shaping more inclusive services and environments for people impacted by the Justice system
- Overview of User Voice’s Not Stupid, Naughty or Bad report on neurodiversity in prisons
- Highlighting the recent update from HM Inspector of Prisons on neurodiversity
- Insights from lived-experience research with prisoners
- Opportunities and challenges identified in work around supporting neurodiverse prisoners
Lucie Russell, CEO, User Voice (CONFIRMED)
Questions and Answers
Breakout Networking: Addressing Mental Health Challenges in Prisons
Use this opportunity to connect with colleagues and engage in meaningful discussions about the most pressing mental health challenges facing prisoners Consider the barriers to effective service delivery, including resource limitations, staff training needs, and systemic issues within the prison environment. Share insights, best practices, and potential solutions to improve mental health support and rehabilitation efforts for prisoners.
Comfort Break
Effective Alternatives to Custody for People with Mental health and associated vulnerabilities:
- What are the alternatives to custody?
- Do Mental Health Treatment Requirements work at improving Health outcomes and reducing reoffending?
Mignon French JP, Specialist in Mental Health and Justice (CONFIRMED)
Case Study: Wellbeing Support for Older Prisoners
- Highlighting the peer-led buddy support service which supports the wellbeing of older prisoners
- Freeing up resources and reducing staffing costs by training prisoners to support each other
- Preventing loneliness and supporting the mental health of older prisoners
Kay White, Head of Service, Recoop (CONFIRMED)
Questions and Answers
Chair’s Closing Remarks
Professor Matthew Callender, Director of the Institute for Public Safety, Crime and Justice, University of Northampton (CONFIRMED)
Conference Close
Get in Touch
Why you Should Attend?
- Learn from leading professionals on prisoner health and wellbeing.
- Connect with policymakers, researchers, and frontline staff.
- Explore best practice approaches to mental health and rehabilitation in prisons
- Contribute to discussions on improving prison healthcare systems.
- Gain 8 hours of CPD points
Who Should Attend?
| Job Title Example | Organisation Example |
| Prison Healthcare Manager | HM Prison Service |
| Prison Staff | NHS |
| Psychologist | Criminal Justice Charities |
| Crimonologists | Mental Health Charities |
| Rehabilitation Coordinator | Probation Service |
| Social Worker | Universities |
| Custodial Officer | Human Rights Organisations |
| Prisoner Advocate | Think Tanks |
Pricing Options
PRIVATE SECTOR
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Points
PUBLIC SECTOR
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Points
VOLUNTARY SECTOR
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Points
Sponsorship
Raise your Profile, Showcase Your Solutions, Generate New Business
If your products, services, and solutions can support our audiences in their roles, and you want to make connections and generate new business with key stakeholders, decision makers, and influencers, then please contact us HERE
IMPORTANT: There are only a small number of sponsorship opportunities available to ensure maximum exposure and ROI – contact us today to secure your place.
Virtual vs F2F
Whilst F2F provide better options for networking, there are many distinct advantages of sponsoring our online conferences including:
- Wider geographical reach of delegates and a different audience who prefer online to f2f
- Lower sponsorship package costs
- No travel/accommodation
- Less time out of the office
- No stand materials required (lower costs)
- 1 of only 2 sponsors involved – less competition on the day
- Prime speaking slot in the morning of the conference including Q&A – less distractions and easier for delegates to hear/absorb information
- Receive all delegate data after the conference to follow-up directly with those who attend and don’t attend (small % but still key stakeholders)
- Ongoing exposure via OnDemand access (coming soon)
To find out more and discuss your specific objectives, please contact us below:
