“I don’t feel things like a normal person”: Exploring the experiences of neurodivergent staff working in a prison setting.

Increasing research has begun to explore the lived experiences and needs of neurodivergent people in prison. However, this research has typically focussed on the experiences of prisoners, and 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 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, 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 social world and workplace culture within a prison, and practical challenges associated with working in a custodial environment. Findings contribute to a richer understanding how prisons can better accommodate neurodivergent staff, promote inclusivity, and enhance workforce wellbeing. Implications for policy, staff training, and organisational support structures to enable neurodivergent employees to flourish are discussed.