Increasing research attention has been drawn to the lived experiences and needs of neurodivergent people in prison. However, this research has typically focussed on the experiences of prisoners, whilst the lived experiences and needs of neurodivergent prison staff remain overlooked. Therefore, this study aimed to address gaps in existing knowledge by qualitatively exploring how neurodivergent people experience working in a prison environment. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight neurodivergent prison staff working in prisoner-facing roles. Interviews explored staff's career journeys from initial recruitment and induction processes to their daily interactions with prisoners, other staff, and the prison environment. An interpretative phenomenological analysis of the data identified three group experiential themes. Broadly, themes captured the ways in which participants reconciled their professional and personal identities as neurodivergent people in the prison, issues related to navigating the prison social world and workplace culture, and practical challenges associated with working in a custodial environment. Findings contribute to a richer understanding of how prisons can better accommodate neurodivergent staff, promote inclusivity, and enhance workforce wellbeing. The paper concludes with implications for policy, staff training, and organisational support structures to enable neurodivergent employees to flourish.
Fedorniak et al. (Sun,) studied this question.