What is a Safe Space

The term safe space generally means “a place or environment in which a person or category of people can feel confident that they will not be exposed to discrimination, criticism, harassment or any other emotional or physical harm.” (Oxford Dictionary).

 

Benefits of a safe space in prison

Safe spaces if used in the prison environment can help prisoners understand and manage their mental health so they can continue to stay connected, actively engage with their rehabilitation, and rebuild other areas of their lives. They offer a brief opportunity to show vulnerabilities, accept we are struggling and let our guard down without fear of judgment or harm.

 

Safe spaces also help to: 

 

Remove the Stigma - By talking about mental illness on a more regular basis, we as a society will hopefully unveil the false notions that plague this topic. When these myths are exposed, it may help remove the stigma surrounding mental health.

 

Promote Treatment & Decrease Rates of Suicides or Self harm  - Of the many reasons why we need to talk about mental health, this is arguably the most important. Because mental health is so taboo, too many people are not getting the treatment they need. In turn, their poor mental health could lead to suicide. One research study found that over 90% of people who commit suicide had symptoms of a mental health disorder.

Reduce the increases in mental ill health  - There were 84,674 adults in prison in England and Wales in 2016–17, between 10% and 90% of whom are thought to have mental health issues. Rates of self-inflicted deaths and self-harm in prisons have risen significantly in the last five years, suggesting that mental health and overall well-being in prison has declined.