Lifers over tariff: exploring psychological barriers to progression

Date14 May 2018
Pages81-90
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/JFP-07-2017-0025
Published date14 May 2018
AuthorLorna Anne Gray
Subject MatterHealth & social care,Criminology & forensic psychology,Forensic practice,Sociology,Sociology of crime & law,Law enforcement/correctional,Public policy & environmental management,Policing,Criminal justice
Lifers over tariff: exploring psychological
barriers to progression
Lorna Anne Gray
Abstract
Purpose There are a significant number of life-sentenced prisoners in Scotland who are over tariff (i.e. past
their punishment part expiry date) and who appear to have difficulty in making the transition towards
community reintegration. The factors involved in their repeated returns to closed conditions are not
adequately understood. The purpose of this paper is to explore this issue using a qualitative approach in
order to understand the experience of life-sentenced prisoners in this position, and the psychological barriers
that compromise their progression to less secure conditions and the community.
Design/methodology/approach In-depth interviews were conducted with eight life-sentenced prisoners
who met the criteria for the research. All were significantly over tariff and all had multiple failed attempts at
progression to less secure conditions. Interviews were recorded and transcripts were analysed using
theoretical thematic analysis.
Findings The analysis produced three identifiable supraordinate themes, each with subordinate
themes. The supraordinate themes included: shaming self-identify, perception of the community as daunting,
and disempowerment. The ability to generalise the findings outwith the participants of this study
are acknowledged.
Practical implications This has provided further understanding as to the complexity of the issue, and the
ways in which it manifests into behaviour. Initial (albeit tentative) recommendations for intervention and
service provision can therefore be identified.
Originality/value The results are discussed against the implications for service provision in Scottish
prisons, and identify the areas for further research that will help to inform the forensic practices in this context.
Keywords Thematic analysis, Qualitative, Violent offenders, Life-sentenced prisoners, Over tariff,
Scottish prisons
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
There are currently 880 offenders serving a life sentence within the Scottish prisons (exclusive of
those servingan order of lifelong restrictionwhich was introduced into Scottish legislationin 2003).
The majority of these life-sentenced prisoners have a conviction for murder; however other
offences such as rape, sodomy, and fire-raising can all carry up to a discretionary life
sentence depending on the severity. In Scotland, this sentence will consist of a punishment part
(known as tariff) which must be served before the offender can be considered for release.
According to the Scottish prisoner records system, 133 (16 per cent) of life-sentenced prisoners
are past, or fast approaching their punishment part expiry date (PPED). This is relevant to a
number of contextual issues currently facing the Scottish Prison Service including the ageing
population (23 per cent of this 880 life-sentenced prisoners are over the age of 50) and the
general increase in length of time an offender will spend in custody following the Prisoners
Control of Release (Scotland) Act 2015 which means that offenders with long-term sentences
will no longer be conditionally released at the two-third point of their sentence. The length of time
life-sentenced prisoners typically serve in the Scottish prisons has been steadily rising.
For example, in 1986 the average length of time served was measured to be ten years and
four months, compared to 13 years and two months in 1996 (Machin et al., 1999). In Scotland,
Received 4 July 2017
Revised 14 August 2017
Accepted 15 August 2017
The researcher would like to thank
James Kerr for endorsing this
research, Angela Holmes for her
support and supervision
throughout this project, and to
staff at National Top End for their
support and assistance with
organising access to participants.
A special thanks is extended to
the participants of this study.
Without your honesty and
involvement, this study would have
been impossible.
Lorna Anne Gray is a
Psychology Team Leader at
the Scottish Prison Service,
Shotts, UK.
DOI 10.1108/JFP-07-2017-0025 VOL. 20 NO. 2 2018, pp. 81-90, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2050-8794
j
JOURNAL OF FORENSIC PRACTICE
j
PAG E 81

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