ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we explore the implications of adopting a public health approach to prison violence prevention. Building on the WHO's violence prevention approach, we apply a four-stage approach: (1) defining the problem, including the scope and scale of prison violence and the outcomes we want to achieve; (2) understanding why prison violence occurs; (3) designing, implementing, and evaluating efforts to reduce prison violence; and (4) implementing multi-faceted preventative interventions. We also identify numerous challenges to implementing a public health approach, including those associated with the need to routinely collect high-quality data that can be linked to data from adjacent agencies, connect data to theory, develop an evidence base on effective preventative interventions, and address the inherent difficulties of rigorous evaluation in this area. We have, albeit cautiously, suggested that the public health model provides a useful framework from which to develop a comprehensive violence prevention strategy. However, it is also clear that this will require significant engagement with stakeholders—from people in prison to politicians—and sustained investment not only in specialist violence prevention programmes but also to support the longer-term goals of successful rehabilitation, reintegration, and improving social and emotional wellbeing.
