Idaho Wellness Project

Research & Policy Library

Evidence should be accessible.

Academic evidence. Public policy. Lived experience.

The Idaho Wellness Project Research & Policy Library brings together peer-reviewed academic research, government publications, public policy, data, and other authoritative sources relating to health, wellness, education, incarceration, rehabilitation, reentry, and community life. It is designed to make credible information easier to find, understand, and use—whether you are directly impacted by incarceration, a family member, student, researcher, practitioner, educator, policymaker, or simply someone seeking to learn. Wherever possible, we prioritize material that is freely and publicly accessible.

Browse the library

Find credible knowledge.

Every source is clearly identified so readers can distinguish peer-reviewed scholarship from government documents, policy materials, and IWP publications.

Source and evidence type

Topic

Showing 41 verified sources

International Correctional Reform

International Policy Research

Netherlands: A Ten-Year Strategy for Prison Capacity, Rehabilitation and Reintegration

Jurisdiction
Netherlands
Date
June 26, 2026
Evidence type
Official Government Action Plan · Proposals and Pilots · Not Outcome Evaluation

Key finding or development

A ten-year strategy links prison capacity, staffing, appropriate care and phased reintegration. It includes proposed detention models and wider structured pathways toward community life.

Why it matters

Capacity pressures interact with care shortages, staff retention and the conditions needed for safe reintegration.

IWP relevanceA comparative source for IWP’s education and Bridging work, covering both practical reentry needs and continuity of support. Proposed measures should be evaluated as implementation develops.

Source: Netherlands Ministry of Justice and Security

Topics: Reentry · Rehabilitation · Mental Health · Overcrowding · Staff Wellness · Public Policy

Read the English-language IWP brief View the official Dutch source

Health, Mental Health & Wellness

Ongoing research project

Belgium — Aging Behind Bars

Jurisdiction
Belgium
Date
Current research project
Evidence type
Empirical Research Project · Aging and Ageism in Prison · Findings Pending

Key finding or development

The Belgian research project examines how ageism is perceived, experienced and practiced in prisons by older incarcerated people, correctional officers and psychosocial-service staff, including differences within and between institutions.

Why it matters

An aging prison population raises connected questions about accessibility, chronic illness, healthcare, daily prison design, dignity, release planning and whether continued incarceration remains proportionate.

IWP relevanceBroadens IWP’s wellness lens to include disability, chronic health and age-responsive reentry. Because this is an ongoing project, the listing does not claim completed outcome findings.

Source: Vrije Universiteit Brussel Research Portal

Topics: Aging, Disability & Chronic Health · Prison Design · Healthcare · Human Rights · Alternatives to Incarceration · Reentry

View the Belgian research project

Academic

The Health Status of Incarcerated People in Canada

Jurisdiction
Canada
Date
September 2026
Evidence type
Peer-Reviewed · Narrative Review · Open Access

Key finding or development

A synthesis of 167 studies found substantially elevated burdens of mental illness, substance-use disorders, chronic disease, hepatitis C and HIV, alongside recurring barriers to timely and continuous care.

Why it matters

A large national synthesis shows correctional health as a broad public-health concern rather than a collection of isolated conditions.

IWP relevanceSupports whole-person wellness education and continuity between prison and community healthcare.

Source: Frontiers in Public Health

Topics: Health & Wellness · Mental Health · Substance Use · Healthcare

Read the research/report

Academic

Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Prison Inmates

Jurisdiction
Global
Date
September 2026
Evidence type
Peer-Reviewed · Systematic Review · Meta-Analysis

Key finding or development

The pooled evidence indicates that musculoskeletal disorders affect roughly one in four incarcerated people, revealing a substantial burden of pain and impaired mobility.

Why it matters

Pain and physical function shape a person’s ability to work, learn, sleep and participate in rehabilitation.

IWP relevanceSupports IWP’s whole-person wellness approach and the need for accessible assessment and treatment pathways.

Source: Clinical Medicine Insights: Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Disorders

Topics: Health & Wellness · Physical Health · Healthcare

Read the research/report

Academic

Prevalence of Mental Illness in Northern Territory Prisoners

Jurisdiction
Northern Territory, Australia
Date
July 2026
Evidence type
Peer-Reviewed · Cross-Sectional Observational Study · Open Access

Key finding or development

A review of 310 adult prisoner files found that almost two-thirds had a recorded lifetime mental-health diagnosis; substance-use disorder was the most common diagnosis.

Why it matters

The study documents the scale of need in a jurisdiction without a dedicated forensic mental-health facility and highlights culturally appropriate care.

IWP relevanceReinforces that education and rehabilitation cannot be separated from mental-health access and institutional capacity.

Source: Northern Territory Health Digital Library

Topics: Mental Health · Health & Wellness · Healthcare

Read the research/report

Academic

Delayed Access to Enhanced Primary Care After Prison Release

Jurisdiction
United States
Date
September 11, 2026
Evidence type
Peer-Reviewed · Cohort Analysis · Open Access

Key finding or development

Among 751 people who used an enhanced primary-care program after release, longer delays before engagement were predictive of mortality over five years, alongside health and substance-use factors.

Why it matters

Release is a healthcare transition. Rapid connection to care and continuity for chronic illness and substance use may be life-preserving.

IWP relevanceDirectly supports IWP’s bridging and educational case-management goals; cross-tagged Reentry & Throughcare.

Source: BMC Public Health

Topics: Healthcare · Health & Wellness · Reentry · Throughcare

Read the research/report

Academic

Dialectical Behavior Therapy in Forensic Psychiatry and Prison

Jurisdiction
International
Date
April 2026
Evidence type
Peer-Reviewed · Primary and Exploratory Meta-Analyses

Key finding or development

The controlled-study meta-analysis found a statistically significant overall benefit across aggression, impulsivity, emotion regulation, depression and borderline symptoms, with meaningful limits and variation in the evidence.

Why it matters

DBT is widely adapted in secure settings, but implementation should follow the evidence rather than treating one therapy as a universal answer.

IWP relevanceSupports skills-based emotional regulation and accountability work while underscoring trained delivery and evaluation.

Source: Criminal Justice and Behavior

Topics: Mental Health · Rehabilitation · Health & Wellness

Read the research/report

Academic

How Correctional Officers Identify and Respond to Health- and Age-Related Change

Jurisdiction
United States
Date
September 2026
Evidence type
Peer-Reviewed · Grounded-Theory Qualitative Study · Open Access

Key finding or development

Interviews with 20 officers found that they can notice deterioration, but whether they act depends partly on whether health response is understood as part of their role; communication barriers can stop concerns reaching clinicians.

Why it matters

Daily observation can identify subtle changes before a clinical encounter when role clarity and escalation pathways exist.

IWP relevanceSupports cross-disciplinary training and communication; cross-tagged Safety, Staff & Institutional Climate.

Source: Health & Justice

Topics: Healthcare · Staff Wellness · Safety

Read the research/report

Investigation

Mental Illness, Fire and Chemical Force at Joliet Treatment Center

Jurisdiction
Illinois, United States
Date
July–August 2026
Evidence type
Investigation · Records and Documentary Reporting

Key finding or development

A joint investigation documented more than 70 fires in three years at a prison intended to treat serious mental illness, two deaths, failures in prevention and response, and accounts of pepper spray and other force during crises.

Why it matters

A facility’s treatment label is not proof that treatment is available or that crisis responses are therapeutic.

IWP relevanceHelps IWP distinguish program promises from implementation, conditions and measurable accountability.

Source: The Marshall Project, WBEZ and Chicago Sun-Times

Topics: Mental Health · Safety · Accountability

Read the investigation

Academic

Extreme Heat and Suicide-Watch Incidents Among Incarcerated Men

Jurisdiction
Louisiana, United States
Date
2023
Evidence type
Peer-Reviewed · Longitudinal Case Series · Open Access

Key finding or development

Across 6,576 facility-days at six prisons, extreme-heat days were associated with a 30% higher rate of recorded suicide-watch incidents.

Why it matters

Conditions of confinement are part of mental health.

IWP relevanceSupports a whole-environment view of health.

Source: JAMA Network Open

Topics: Health & Wellness · Mental Health · Environmental Health

Read IWP’s plain-language review Read the research/report

Academic

Parents’ Childhood Experiences and Offspring Involvement With the Criminal Legal System

Jurisdiction
United States
Date
October 25, 2023
Evidence type
Peer-Reviewed · National Cohort Study · Open Access

Key finding or development

Among 1,854 parent–child dyads, parents’ childhood adversity was associated with children’s later arrest and conviction; association is not destiny.

Why it matters

Trauma education and intentional pattern interruption belong together with accountability.

IWP relevancePart of the evidence foundation for From Roots to Resilience.

Source: JAMA Network Open

Topics: Trauma · Family · Health & Wellness

Read IWP’s plain-language review Read the research/report

Academic

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Substance Misuse

Jurisdiction
International
Date
2022
Evidence type
Peer-Reviewed · Umbrella Review · Open Access

Key finding or development

The review synthesizes evidence linking childhood adversity with later substance misuse and examines modifiable pathways.

Why it matters

Context can improve prevention and recovery without becoming an excuse.

IWP relevanceSupports IWP’s trauma-informed educational approach.

Source: Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation

Topics: Trauma · Substance Use · Mental Health · Rehabilitation

Read IWP’s plain-language review Read the research/report

Education, Employment & Personal Development

Policy research

Participation in California Prison Programs amid and after the Pandemic

Jurisdiction
California, United States
Date
October 2026
Evidence type
Policy Research · Administrative Data Analysis · Open Access

Key finding or development

Analysis of 118,052 people released during 2020–2023 identifies assessment gaps, short stays, residential movement and staffing vacancies as barriers to participation. Longstanding access challenges contributed more than pandemic adaptations; participation among 2023 releases remained below 2019 levels.

Why it matters

More program slots alone do not ensure access: assessment, continuity, timing and staffing shape who can participate.

IWP relevanceInforms FRTR and S.H.I.F.T. planning and the case for accessible learning during institutional disruption, including adaptable self-study and continuity when people move. The report does not evaluate IWP programs.

Source: Heather Harris, Brandon Martin and Luciana Susanto · Public Policy Institute of California

Topics: Education · Employment · Rehabilitation · Reentry

Read the PPIC report

Emerging practice

Paid Professional Remote Work for Incarcerated College Graduates

Jurisdiction
Massachusetts, United States
Date
September 17, 2026
Evidence type
Government Pilot · Emerging Practice

Key finding or development

A six-month pilot provides two competitively selected Boston College prison-education graduates with supervised remote professional work for 20 hours each week at $25 per hour.

Why it matters

Education has greater power when it connects to real responsibility, professional experience and fair compensation before release.

IWP relevanceClosely reflects IWP’s goal of building an educational pathway into employment and reintegration.

Source: Massachusetts Department of Correction

Topics: Education · Employment · Reentry · Personal Development

View the official announcement

Data and reporting

Illinois Prison College Demand Exceeds Available Capacity

Jurisdiction
Illinois, United States
Date
September 16, 2026
Evidence type
Administrative Data · Public-Interest Reporting

Key finding or development

State data show demand for college classes continuing to outstrip available places, with some applicants waiting years and one waitlist record dating to 2006.

Why it matters

The barrier is not motivation; it is insufficient capacity, staffing, space, technology and funding.

IWP relevanceValidates IWP’s focus on educational access and the need for partnerships built to scale.

Source: Open Campus and WBEZ Chicago

Topics: Education · Public Policy · Personal Development

Read the reporting

Academic and practice

Higher Education, Structured Support and Peer Mentoring

Jurisdiction
Illinois-connected, United States
Date
May 21, 2026
Evidence type
Peer-Reviewed · Applicant Data Study · Emerging Practice

Key finding or development

Using data from 540 currently and formerly incarcerated applicants, researchers examined how structured support and peer mentoring relate to educational and employment pathways.

Why it matters

Access to a course is only one part of success; navigation, belonging, peer knowledge and sustained guidance help opportunity become progress.

IWP relevanceSupports IWP’s peer-created S.H.I.F.T. roots and mentoring pathways from prison into education and work.

Source: Urban Education / Prison-to-Professionals

Topics: Education · Employment · Reentry · Personal Development

Read the research/report

Emerging practice

Correctional Arts, Dignity and Economic Participation

Jurisdiction
South Africa
Date
June 22, 2026
Evidence type
Government Initiative · Emerging Practice

Key finding or development

The Leeuwkop gallery forms part of an effort to use art for expression, skills, public engagement and economic participation; correctional artwork also reaches national public events.

Why it matters

The model connects therapeutic expression with public recognition, practical skill and self-sufficiency.

IWP relevanceShows how IWP can honor creative ownership while linking work made inside to public learning and opportunity.

Source: South African Department of Correctional Services

Topics: Arts · Employment · Rehabilitation · Community · Reentry

View the official initiative

Education & Reentry / Credentials & Workforce Development

Program implementation

Nebraska — RISE Academy Business Pitch & Entrepreneurship

Jurisdiction
Nebraska, United States
Date
Current program
Evidence type
Program Implementation · Emerging Practice · Not Independent Outcome Evidence

Key finding or development

RISE combines character development, employment readiness, entrepreneurship and case management across seven Nebraska prisons. Its business programming includes business-plan development, coaching, pitch preparation and a pitch competition.

Why it matters

Entrepreneurship education can turn learning into a practical reentry pathway while building communication, planning, responsibility and leadership skills.

IWP relevanceProvides a concrete implementation model for linking education inside prison with mentors, community engagement and post-release economic opportunity. The listing describes program design, not independently measured effectiveness.

Source: RISE / SourceLink Nebraska

Topics: Employment · Entrepreneurship · Leadership · Reentry Preparation · Community Engagement

Explore the RISE business program

Government program update

56 Women Complete Professional Training at CCWF

Jurisdiction
California, United States
Date
2026
Evidence type
Government Program Update · Credentials and Apprenticeships

Key finding or development

Fifty-six women at Central California Women’s Facility completed professional training in healthcare facilities maintenance, optical, dental and pre-apprenticeship programs, earning certifications or apprenticeship recognition connected to their fields.

Why it matters

Training is strongest when learning leads to a recognized credential, documented work experience and a pathway that employers can understand after release.

IWP relevanceDirectly supports IWP’s education-to-employment bridge by showing how correctional learning can connect skills, professional recognition and reentry preparation.

Source: California Correctional Training and Rehabilitation Authority / California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Topics: Education · Employment · Reentry · Personal Development · Credentials & Workforce Development

Explore the official workforce programs

Reentry, Throughcare & Community Reintegration

Academic

“Once I Was Given the Blueprint, Couldn’t Nobody Stop Me”: Postrelease Quality of Life and Reentry Barriers of People Sentenced to Life in Prison as Children

Jurisdiction
United States
Date
October 14, 2026
Evidence type
Peer-Reviewed · Cross-Sectional Mixed-Methods Study

Key finding or development

Among people released after life or long sentences beginning before age 18, quantitative data (N=78) linked more unmet reentry needs with poorer wellbeing. Qualitative data (N=46) described barriers, resilience and continuing systemic constraints. The cross-sectional design establishes associations, not causation.

Why it matters

Quality of life after release involves emotional adjustment alongside practical needs and access to community support.

IWP relevanceInforms IWP’s Bridging program by connecting psychological, relational and identity adjustment with practical help involving housing, services, transportation and employment. This study does not evaluate Bridging.

Source: Nancy D. Franke and John B. Cheston · Criminal Justice and Behavior

Topics: Reentry · Mental Health · Lived Experience

Read the journal abstract

Academic

Peer Support and Digital Exclusion After Incarceration

Jurisdiction
United States · Formerly incarcerated veterans
Date
September 16, 2026
Evidence type
Peer-Reviewed · Secondary Qualitative Study · Open Access

Key finding or development

Interviews and implementation materials from the Veterans Affairs Post-Incarceration Engagement initiative show peer specialists helping formerly incarcerated veterans access technology, build digital skills and navigate housing, healthcare and benefits. The qualitative study identifies a promising support role; it does not establish program effectiveness for all people leaving prison.

Why it matters

Digital barriers can obstruct essential steps after release, and trusted peers can tailor practical help to each person’s needs.

IWP relevanceDirectly informs IWP’s Bridging Program: pair digital navigation and literacy with relational peer support during reentry.

Source: Social Inclusion

Topics: Reentry · Throughcare · Education · Lived Experience · Healthcare

Read the peer-reviewed study

Policy analysis

Proposition 36 Promised Treatment—Implementation Shows a Capacity Gap

Jurisdiction
California, United States
Date
March 18, 2026
Evidence type
Policy Analysis · Implementation Review

Key finding or development

Early implementation evidence indicates punitive system contact expanded faster than treatment capacity while counties faced funding and service constraints.

Why it matters

Diversion exists only when suitable services, staff, beds, case management and funding exist.

IWP relevanceA direct lesson that programs need real capacity, referral routes, qualified partners and follow-through.

Source: Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice

Topics: Alternatives to Incarceration · Reentry · Public Policy

Read the policy analysis

Policy

Completing Part of a Custodial Sentence in the Community

Jurisdiction
Malaysia
Date
September 12, 2026
Evidence type
Government Policy · Licensed Release

Key finding or development

Eligible people may serve the remainder of a sentence in the community under conditions, supervision and monitoring after assessment of rehabilitation, family support, placement and employment.

Why it matters

Accountability can remain while part of a sentence is completed in a structured community setting that supports reintegration.

IWP relevanceOffers an international comparison for bridging custody and community rather than treating release as a sudden break.

Source: Malaysian Prisons Department / Bernama

Topics: Alternatives to Incarceration · Reentry · Public Policy

Read the official agency account

Academic

Recovery, Reintegration and Social Inclusion After Imprisonment

Jurisdiction
United Kingdom
Date
July 14, 2026
Evidence type
Peer-Reviewed · Community-Based Participatory Study

Key finding or development

The study examines how people with lived experience and recovery communities understand reintegration, including stigma, employment and housing.

Why it matters

Reentry is not completed at the prison gate; belonging, identity and opportunity shape whether community life becomes sustainable.

IWP relevanceSupports lifelong learning, lived-experience leadership and community pathways beyond immediate release needs.

Source: Mental Health and Social Inclusion

Topics: Reentry · Community · Employment

Read the research/report

Families & Community Connection

Emerging practice

Transportation as Family-Connection Infrastructure

Jurisdiction
Minnesota, United States
Date
September 17, 2026
Evidence type
Community Practice · Public-Interest Reporting

Key finding or development

A nonprofit bus service helps families reach remote Minnesota prisons, addressing a practical barrier that can otherwise make in-person contact impossible for years.

Why it matters

Distance, cost and transport access can determine whether a relationship is supported or quietly severed.

IWP relevanceOffers a concrete model for treating transportation as part of family wellbeing and reentry preparation.

Source: Minnesota Star Tribune

Topics: Family · Community · Reentry

Read the report

Policy

Family-Contact Costs Recognized as a Correctional Barrier

Jurisdiction
Washington State, United States
Date
Current law and policy
Evidence type
Statute · Correctional Telecommunications Policy

Key finding or development

Washington law expressly recognizes high prison telephone costs as a barrier for families; current contracting policy requires transparency and seeks lower-cost communication.

Why it matters

Communication charges can transfer correctional costs to families and weaken relationships associated with healthier reentry.

IWP relevanceSupports a dedicated family-connection lens focused on affordability, access and digital equity.

Source: Washington State Legislature and Department of Corrections

Topics: Family · Community · Reentry · Public Policy

Read the Washington statute

Women & Gender-Responsive Corrections

Government response

Government Response to Jagged Justice in Wales

Jurisdiction
Wales, United Kingdom
Date
September 17, 2026
Evidence type
Government Response · Parliamentary Scrutiny

Key finding or development

The response addresses Welsh women in a system with no women’s prison in Wales, including Residential Women’s Centres and an Intensive Supervision Court programme selected for Swansea.

Why it matters

Gender-responsive alternatives must be judged by whether they reduce custody and provide credible local supervision and support.

IWP relevanceLinks women’s justice, trauma-informed support, family connection and alternatives to incarceration.

Source: UK Parliament, Welsh Affairs Committee

Topics: Family · Alternatives to Incarceration · Public Policy

Read the government response

Prison Conditions, Design & Overcrowding

Academic

Extreme Temperatures, Mortality and Healthcare Use in Pennsylvania Prisons

Jurisdiction
Pennsylvania, United States
Date
September 22, 2026
Evidence type
Peer-Reviewed · Observational Analysis · Open Access

Key finding or development

An analysis of Pennsylvania state prisons from 2000 to 2023 linked extreme ambient temperatures with higher mortality and greater use of prison infirmaries and outside medical care. The findings describe associations rather than proving that temperature alone caused each outcome.

Why it matters

Heat protection, cooling and timely healthcare are measurable health needs within the conditions of confinement.

IWP relevanceAdds direct health-outcome evidence to IWP’s prison-design and climate-policy coverage, alongside the California heat-standards proposal.

Source: Nature Communications

Topics: Environmental Health · Health & Wellness · Healthcare · Prison Design · Staff Wellness

Read the peer-reviewed study

Policy

Proposed Heat Protections for Correctional Facilities

Jurisdiction
California, United States
Date
March 17, 2026
Evidence type
Proposed Regulation · Workplace and Correctional Health Policy

Key finding or development

Regulators proposed ending the correctional-facility exemption through prison-specific requirements for water, rest and cooling; critics say the proposal is weaker than standards for most workplaces.

Why it matters

Correctional heat affects residents, incarcerated workers and staff together.

IWP relevanceConnects wellness to physical design, occupational safety and implementation; cross-tagged Staff Wellness.

Source: California workplace-safety rulemaking reported by KQED

Topics: Environmental Health · Staff Wellness · Health & Wellness · Public Policy

Read the policy report

Investigation

Overcrowding Threatens Accommodation Built for One Person

Jurisdiction
England and Wales
Date
September 16, 2026
Evidence type
Investigative Reporting · Capacity Policy

Key finding or development

Leaked plans considered second beds in prefabricated cells designed for one person across ten prisons, potentially creating 476 places while raising health and safety concerns.

Why it matters

Overcrowding can erase improvements in accommodation by converting better-designed space into unsafe density.

IWP relevanceShows why prison design must be evaluated together with population policy.

Source: The Guardian

Topics: Overcrowding · Safety · Staff Wellness · Public Policy

Read the investigation

Court development

Ghent Court Makes Overcrowding Financially Enforceable

Jurisdiction
Belgium
Date
September 11, 2026
Evidence type
Court Development · Human-Rights Enforcement

Key finding or development

The court ordered occupancy reduced to 110% of capacity within six months. Continued overcrowding can trigger €500 per day for each affected person, rising later, up to a €45 million cap.

Why it matters

The judgment moves overcrowding from repeated criticism to enforceable accountability grounded in human rights.

IWP relevanceProvides a comparative model of measurable deadlines and financial consequences for institutional failure.

Source: Court of First Instance, East Flanders—Ghent Division

Topics: Overcrowding · Policy & Courts · Accountability

Read the English translation Read the original judgment

Academic

Hazardous Heat Exposure Among Incarcerated People in the United States

Jurisdiction
United States
Date
March 5, 2024
Evidence type
Peer-Reviewed · Geospatial Exposure Analysis · Open Access

Key finding or development

Researchers modelled hazardous heat at 4,078 facilities and estimated 41.3 million person-days of exposure annually during 2016–2020.

Why it matters

People in custody cannot readily leave unsafe temperatures.

IWP relevanceTreats safe conditions as a foundation for education and wellness.

Source: Nature Sustainability

Topics: Health & Wellness · Environmental Health · Public Policy

Read IWP’s plain-language review Read the research/report

Academic

Heat-Related Mortality in U.S. State and Private Prisons

Jurisdiction
United States
Date
March 1, 2023
Evidence type
Peer-Reviewed · Case-Crossover Analysis · Open Access

Key finding or development

Researchers linked temperatures with 12,836 deaths at 962 prisons; higher temperatures and heatwaves were associated with increased mortality.

Why it matters

Heat, aging, illness and conditions must be understood together.

IWP relevanceStrengthens the evidence for safe conditions as part of rehabilitation.

Source: PLOS ONE

Topics: Health & Wellness · Environmental Health · Mental Health

Read IWP’s plain-language review Read the research/report

Safety, Staff & Institutional Climate

Training / emerging practice

Correctional Staff Wellness — Mental Health First Aid for Corrections Professionals

Jurisdiction
Idaho, United States
Date
2026
Evidence type
Training · Emerging Practice · Not Effectiveness Research

Key finding or development

The corrections-specific Mental Health First Aid course trains staff to recognize and respond to mental-health and substance-use challenges among peers, use the MHFA action plan, understand correctional risk and protective factors, practice post-response self-care and connect colleagues with appropriate resources.

Why it matters

Staff wellbeing influences judgment, relationships, morale, retention and the daily climate in which rehabilitation takes place.

IWP relevanceHighly relevant to Idaho because NIC delivered the 2026 training for Idaho Department of Correction personnel in Meridian. The course description identifies intended skills and benefits; it is not an independent effectiveness study.

Source: U.S. National Institute of Corrections

Topics: Mental Health · Burnout · Psychological Safety · Workforce Retention · Institutional Climate

View the NIC training description

Government report

Rapid Evidence Assessment of Safety in Prison

Jurisdiction
England and Wales
Date
September 3, 2026
Evidence type
Government Report · Rapid Evidence Assessment

Key finding or development

The review examines factors associated with prison violence and implications for staff training, staff–resident relationships and system management.

Why it matters

Safer prisons depend on institutional climate, legitimate relationships, competent staffing and predictable management as well as hardware.

IWP relevanceAdvances IWP’s focus on implementation: what makes policy and programming work in daily institutional life.

Source: UK Ministry of Justice

Topics: Safety · Staff Wellness · Public Policy

Read the government review

Prison Reform / Institutional Culture & Rehabilitation

Emerging practice

Philippines — Peacebuilding, Staff Conduct & Rehabilitation

Jurisdiction
Philippines
Date
September 2025
Evidence type
Emerging Practice · Institutional Implementation · Not Independent Outcome Evidence

Key finding or development

The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology has integrated the Peace Education Program into a wider peacebuilding framework, beginning with staff preparation. Forty-four officers and staff were reported as certified facilitators, with expansion to Persons Deprived of Liberty planned after Filipino-language materials are completed.

Why it matters

The initiative treats staff conduct, dignity and institutional culture as part of rehabilitation rather than as separate from it.

IWP relevanceOffers an implementation example relevant to S.H.I.F.T. and IWP’s interest in human-centered institutional culture. The source describes the partnership and rollout; it is not an independent evaluation of outcomes.

Source: The Prem Rawat Foundation and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology

Topics: Staff–Resident Relationships · Dignity · Peacebuilding · Rehabilitation

Read the implementation account

Research report

The Maine Model of Corrections: Institutional Culture, Safety and Rehabilitation

Jurisdiction
Maine, United States
Date
April 6, 2026
Evidence type
Research Report · Descriptive Trend Analysis · Lived-Experience Survey

Key finding or development

During Maine’s reform period from 2017 to 2024, resident-on-resident assaults declined 40%, resident-on-staff assaults declined 36%, and staff use-of-force incidents declined 69%. Brennan Center surveys also documented how staff and residents experienced safety and institutional culture.

Why it matters

The Maine experience shows why physical environment, staff roles, everyday relationships, education and preparation for release must be considered together when assessing prison reform.

IWP relevanceOffers IWP a concrete institutional-culture example connecting dignity, relational safety, education, lived experience and successful reentry. The figures are descriptive trends: the study does not establish that the Maine Model caused the declines.

Source: Brennan Center for Justice

Topics: Staff–Resident Relationships · Safety · Education · Reentry · Lived Experience · Rehabilitation

Read the Brennan Center study

Healthcare Governance & Accountability

Court development

Federal Receivership for Arizona Prison Healthcare

Jurisdiction
Arizona, United States
Date
July 17, 2026
Evidence type
Federal Court Development · External Oversight

Key finding or development

After prolonged litigation, a federal judge appointed an independent receiver to manage healthcare for more than 25,000 people in Arizona state prisons; the state is appealing.

Why it matters

Receivership asks what external control is justified when a system repeatedly fails constitutional healthcare duties.

IWP relevanceHelps IWP examine oversight, transparency and the limits of internal correctional self-correction.

Source: Jensen v. Thornell / U.S. District Court; ACLU of Arizona

Topics: Healthcare · Mental Health · Accountability · Policy & Courts

Read the case update

Alternatives, Sentencing & System Reform

Policy

Economists for Justice Reform Challenge Continuous Prison Spending

Jurisdiction
Australia
Date
September 16, 2026
Evidence type
Policy Initiative · Economic Analysis and Advocacy

Key finding or development

A new group of economists argues that prison expansion is economically and socially unsustainable and calls for investment in prevention, community-led solutions and evidence-based alternatives.

Why it matters

Prison policy is also public-spending policy; economic scrutiny asks what safety outcomes communities receive for recurring incarceration costs.

IWP relevanceProvides a fiscal frame for education, treatment and community supports as public-safety investments.

Source: Justice Reform Initiative

Topics: Alternatives to Incarceration · Public Policy · Community

Read the policy initiative

International report

Global Prison Trends 2026

Jurisdiction
Global
Date
2026
Evidence type
International Research and Policy Report

Key finding or development

The report surveys overcrowding, conditions, healthcare, oversight, rehabilitation and human rights worldwide.

Why it matters

It gives readers a current international reference point.

IWP relevancePlaces Idaho work inside a wider evidence-informed reform movement.

Source: Penal Reform International and Thailand Institute of Justice

Topics: Health & Wellness · Mental Health · Rehabilitation · Public Policy

View the official report

International strategy

Strategy 2024–2028: Human Rights-Based Criminal Justice

Jurisdiction
Global
Date
2024–2028
Evidence type
International Strategy and Policy Framework

Key finding or development

The strategy spans education, people-centred justice, oversight, non-custodial options, lived-experience leadership and proportionate sentencing.

Why it matters

It connects accountability with rehabilitation and meaningful participation.

IWP relevanceOffers a comparative framework for IWP’s educational and policy work.

Source: Penal Reform International

Topics: Education · Rehabilitation · Reentry · Mental Health · Public Policy

View the official strategy