Research highlights
- The 20 month NIHR funded project will build knowledge around access to support for women with experience of domestic violence and abuse and prison.
- Women with lived experience will train as peer researchers to co-facilitate focus groups at five women’s centres across England and Wales.
- The study will adopt the creative research method Photovoice as a way to capture the experiences of women through photographs.
A 20 month project funded by the NIHR aims to understand the experiences, perspectives and social care needs of women with domestic violence and abuse (DVA) experiences on their release from prison. The study will examine the barriers and enablers to women receiving the appropriate support and social care needed after leaving prison. To address the diversity of women leaving prison, women’s individual intersecting social characteristics as well as the institutional and structural factors which may affect their resettlement will be examined. The project is led by Professor Michaela Rogers at the University of Sheffield, alongside Co-investigators Dr Kelly Lockwood (University of Salford), Dr Jenni Berlin and Samira Obed (UserVoice), Public co-applicant Viv Young and Research Associate, Dr Loren Parton (University of Sheffield).
The project will adopt a multi-method qualitative research design. First, women with lived experience of prison and/or DVA will be recruited and trained as peer researchers. This training will include data collection and analysis, including specialised training on the creative method Photovoice which uses photo elicitation to capture stories and experiences. The training will be trauma-informed paying enhanced attention to ethics and safeguarding in sensitive research. Second, peer researchers and academic team members will co-facilitate focus groups adopting Photovoice across five women’s centres in England and Wales. Finally, semi-structured interviews will be conducted with key stakeholders such as policymakers, service providers and professionals working with women with DVA and prison experience.
Why this research is important
Representing 4% of the prison population, imprisoned women have disproportionately complex and intersecting needs that are often overlooked during their time in prison as well as during planning for their post-prison resettlement (Ministry of Justice, 2018). Many of these women are remanded and do not go on to receive custodial sentences or they receive short sentences, thus destabilising women’s lives and impeding resettlement planning and support (Ministry of Justice, 2023).
A previous Nuffield funded project, an evidence review by Principal Investigator, Professor Michaela Rogers and Co-Investigator Dr Kelly Lockwood, found there to be significant gaps relating to women’s in-prison and post-prison needs being addressed in relation to DVA. The team found systematic failings in the provision of support and gaps in the implementation of policy (Rogers, Lockwood & Speake, 2023; Rogers & Lockwood, 2025). They concluded that DVA related support is in high demand, but is inconsistent or unavailable, leaving women ill-equipped for resettlement after leaving prison. Additional research has also found that, women require gender-specific services to feel safe and supported, however evidence is limited in terms of understanding the perspectives of women leaving prison and their DVA-related social care needs (NHS England, 2023).The current project builds upon these knowledge and practice gaps by aiming to understand the needs and experiences of women during resettlement as well as the institutional and structural factors that may impact this transition period.
Adopting a Participatory research approach
A central component of the project, is the inclusion of women with lived experience of prison and/or DVA as peer researchers and to co-create and co-facilitate the focus groups across the women’s centres. The voices of women with lived experience has been centred during all aspects of the project from the grant submission through to the development of key documents and focus group planning. Furthermore, the project builds capacity through training women as well as opportunities for the women to continue volunteering and engaging with User Voice beyond the duration of this project.
Photovoice is a method for participatory, community-based research used to understand the experiences, perspectives and needs of others and to uncover the challenges and assets that may exist (Fitzgibbon & Stengel, 2018). Within this project, five focus group sessions will be held with six women. In each session, there will be a focus on different aspects of resettlement and DVA, with the key questions being; 1) What helped during your resettlement? and 2) What hindered your resettlement? These questions will be based on the core aim of understanding what women need and want. The women will be asked to bring or take pictures to represent their experiences during this time. There is rich evidence to show that use of Photovoice is not only unique and innovative, but empowering. By centring the voices of women with lived experience, the study will create opportunities that enable women from one of the most marginalised groups in our society to speak out about what works for them and in what circumstances.
Looking ahead
The primary outcome of this project will be to have a greater understanding from the perspectives of women about how to provide DVA and social care support to women leaving prison, and what works for whom and in what circumstances. By centring the voices of the most minoritised women, it will empower women to be able to speak out about what helps and what hinders in their resettlement. In the long term, we hope to inform policy and practice changes to improve resettlement planning for women as they prepare to leave prison. Addressing their DVA experiences and social care needs in a more holistic,
trauma-informed and gender-sensitive way for ALL eligible women.
References
Ministry of Justice (2023) Female Offender Strategy Delivery Plan 2022-25. Available at: /https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/63d78f63e90e0773e01f8960/female-offender-strategy-delivery-plan-2022-25.pdf. [Accessed on: 25 August 2026].
Ministry of Justice (2018) Female Offender Strategy. London: Ministry of Justice. Available at:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5b3349c4e5274a55d7a54abe/female-offender-strategy.pdf [Accessed on: 25 August 2026].
Rogers, M., Lockwood, K., & Speak, A. (2023) Domestic abuse and mothers in prison or on
release: an evidence review. Final report. Sheffield and Salford: University of Sheffield and the University of Salford. https://doi.org/10.15131/shef.data.23542074.v1.
Fitzgibbon, W., & Stengel, C.M. (2018) Women's voices made visible: Photovoice in visual
criminology. Punishment &Society, 20(4), 411–431. https://doi.org/10.1177/1462474517700137
Rogers, M., & Lockwood, K. (2025). A systematic review of interventions for imprisoned women with experience of domestic violence and abuse. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 83, 102057. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2025.102057