Since 2022, Jim Chamberlain has led eight projects delivering philosophy courses across five UK prisons for the charity Philosophy in Prison (PiP). Four of these projects were collaborations between PiP and the University of Sheffield (UoS), as detailed below.
All of PiP’s courses use philosophical conversation to engage anyone who is interested, whatever their educational background. A video about their impact can be found here.
- 2024-25: An 11-week course in HMP Thameside, led by Jim Chamberlain and Sean Shields. HMP Thameside is a category B men’s prison. The course was funded by a BA/Leverhulme Small Research grant, and it was designed to invite participants to participate in the ‘Prison Voices’ research project (see above). Following this course, Philosophy in Prison has continued working in HMP Thameside.
2024-25: An 11-week course in HMP Downview, led by Sean Maroney and supervised by Jim Chamberlain. HMP Downview is a women’s prison. The course was funded by a UoS Knowledge Exchange (KE) grant., and it was designed to invite participants to participate in the ‘Prison Voices’ research project (see above). Philosophy in Prison has run several courses in HMP Downview and is continuing to do so.
2023: An 11-week course in HMP Maidstone, led by Jim Chamberlain and Rachael Goodyer and funded by a UoS KE grant. HMP Maidstone is a prison for foreign nationals. The course involved 10 regular participants (and some less regular participants). Following this course, Philosophy in Prison has continued working in HMP Maidstone.
- 2022: A Pilot course in HMP Stafford led by Jim Chamberlain and (then UoS PhD student) Barney Riggs, funded by a UoS KE grant. HMP Stafford is a prison for sex offenders. The course consisted of four 1.5-hour-long sessions, for approximately 12 men. Following this course, Philosophy in Prison has continued working in HMP Stafford. It now runs a range of courses for different levels of experience and understanding.
These courses have proven highly popular with participants, and very beneficial for all concerned. Some of the feedback from these (and other Philosophy in Prison) courses indicates the following positive effects:
Prisoner feedback
- Intellectual change: Participants report intellectual changes such as becoming more open-minded, an increased willingness to take on and persevere with intellectual challenge, increased ability to question and approach life more thoughtfully, and increased ability to understand their own thoughts and actions, as well as other people’s.
- Re-engagement with education: Participants report increased confidence, interest in education, and intellectual empowerment, particularly due to being heard and taken seriously on the course. Previous participants went on to apply for further courses in prison, distance learning courses in philosophy and other disciplines, and re-engaged with reading.
- Social change: Participants report social change outside the classroom, such as becoming more tolerant of others, being able to approach disagreement in a way that is less threatening and acrimonious, being able to avoid arguments, increased confidence and ability to engage in social situations, and better managing social anxiety.
Community: Participants report that the classes provide a rare and valuable safe space for thinking and talking openly with others. As a result, prisoners develop new relationships, including with others they may otherwise have avoided, and develop a richer social network.
Prison staff feedback
Prison culture: Prison officers report a positive ‘ripple effect’ of our courses. Our courses provide prisoners with new topics of conversation and a different way of engaging with one another – through philosophical conversation. Participants may host their own philosophical discussions on the wing, and use the conversational skills they have practised in our classes to better handle difficult interactions with others on the wing and elsewhere in the prison.
Centre for Engaged Philosophy 