title: Expert views of peer-based interventions for prisoner health.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Formalised support services for prisoners that rely on peer methods of delivery show promising health and social outcomes but there is also conjecture that negative effects, both at an individual and organisational level, can occur. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
  
  
  METHODS
  Individuals with recognised professional expertise from various sectors (including ex-prisoners) were invited to contribute to an expert symposium to share their perceptions of the positive and negative effects of peer interventions in prison. Discussions and debate were audio recorded with the consent of all delegates and verbatim transcripts were analysed using framework analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to the participants, peer interventions in the prison setting created both positive and negative impacts. It was clear from the evidence gathered that peer interventions in prisons can impact positively on health outcomes, but these effects were perceived to be more well-defined for peer deliverers. The notion that peer deliverers can be subjected to "burnout" suggests that supervisory processes for peer workers need to be considered carefully in order to avoid the intervention from being counter-productive. Organisationally, one of the salient issues was the adverse effects that peer interventions cause to the security of the prison.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To the authors' knowledge, this is the first time an expert symposium has been conducted to specifically examine peer interventions in prison and to consider the effects, both positive and negative, of such schemes.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Health and Wellbeing, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Woodall
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: South
authors.forename: Rachael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dixey
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: de Viggiani
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Penson
mesh_terms: D003150:Community Health Workers / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D010379:Peer Group; D010465:Perception; D011329:Prisoners; D011330:Prisons / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012944:Social Support
keywords: Health in prison; Health policy; Health promotion; Mental health; Prison; Public health