Woodhill: Film and theatre project, raising awareness of prison suicide

The Campaign

The prison population in England and Wales is at a record high. The deterioration of prison living conditions, cuts to mental health support and a rising prison population leave prisoners vulnerable. This campaign raised awareness of prison suicide, associated harms, and the role that multisectoral regulators could make to reduce harm. LUNG, the SAFESOC research team (Prof Philippa Tomczak and Dr Gill Buck), and the Woodhill Families Group co-created a campaign to advocate penal reform.

This involved:

• A film centring one mother’s experience of losing a son in prison and the resulting death investigations, seeking to inspire systemic improvements, presented at conferences (including to the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions), and to the House of Lords
• A documentary play touring to 3,573 people across the nation
• A media public awareness campaign reaching 1.19 million people
• A training package of two short films co-created by the Woodhill Families group
• A policy brief presented at the House of Lords
• A series of consultative meetings with ministers about improving conditions at HMP Woodhill and across the wider prison estate.

The Change

They made research a shared endeavour, relevant and accessible to all by learning from arts and lived experience partners to translate complex data on prisoner deaths into visual art centring the human story.

• The film created far-reaching awareness of prison suicide and the experiences and expertise of surviving families. The film has also influenced (international) policy and media actors.
• The documentary play garnered multiple five-star reviews. Thousands of audience members signed their petition to Stop the Deaths and letter to The Justice Secretary.
• At the height of the media campaign, the Chief Inspector of Prisons ordered an on-the-spot investigation of HMP Woodhill. The prison was found to be failing and received an urgent notification.
• Advocacy has influenced and shaped the thinking of over 150 Parliamentarians and key decision makers. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions remarked that they highlighted ‘an invisible global tragedy which urgently requires preventative action.’
• The policy brief saw key recommendations put before stakeholders at The House of Lords. The Woodhill Families delivered speeches, with Prof Tomczak presenting key policy recommendations.
• The minister meetings led to the Shadow Justice Secretary submitting two urgent questions to Parliament and the Minister of State for Prisons, Edward Argar, agreeing to work with the Governor of Woodhill to fix the broken telephones.

The Future

They are currently looking forward to taking their campaign to the next level.

• The documentary play will tour to 10,000 people across the UK in 2025. There will be an accompanying training package for schools and for professionals across the nation.
• The Woodhill Families Group continues to meet once a month, providing a space for families bereaved by a death at the prison to come together to steer our campaign and co-create change.
• LUNG will independently screen their training videos at events and to key decision makers via their partnerships with key stakeholders campaigning for penal reform.
• The work with ministers will continue, as they hold them and HMP Woodhill to account for failing prisoners and their families.
• The SAFESOC team will campaign for improved prisoner death statistics worldwide.