ABSTRACT
This chapter will provide an insight into the design, development and operational aspects of the work towards Enabling Environment certification of a wing in a Young Offender's Institution (YOI). The psychologist author will examine the theoretical basis for such work with young adult males and the hopes and aspirations of the development of such work as part of a pilot pathway service at the YOI. It will cover the unique nature of working with young adult offenders, and how EE principles might be thought helpful in creating an environment that supports and nurtures while providing boundaries. It will also analyse the general and specific ‘tasks’ of adolescence and how the cognitive, neurological, behaviour and relational developments taking place at this time are at play in the work of moving towards EE principles such as ‘belonging’ or ‘boundaries’. The Prison Service Governor author will provide the strategic view of the introduction of EE principles to a YOI at a time of perceived institutional stress, when the work of therapy is hard to resource and support, despite the overarching and constant aim to maintain a healthy, safe and decent prison. It will describe the prisoner involvement work already ongoing and how the EE work will support and develop that further. The third author will provide the practical view of how the design and strategy of this work has been implemented. In particular there will be a focus on the roles that different disciplines can play and how creative the service users and staff can be within the confines of a secure environment.
