In this blog we reflect on our work in HMP SEND and why food matters in prisons. Through trauma-informed food and nutrition courses we support women in prison to build wellbeing, confidence, and healthier relationships with food while navigating the challenges of the prison environment.
For the last three years, we’ve been working with the PIPE (Psychologically Informed Planned Environments) unit at HMP Send. These special units support the progression of offenders with complex needs and personality-related difficulties as part of the Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) pathway. Services focus on the environment, recognising the importance of relationships and interactions. PIPE staff receive additional training to develop psychological understanding of their clients and create a safe, supportive environment that helps people in prison build skills to navigate daily situations.
PIPE’s approach is to emulate ordinary situations participants may encounter in everyday life and address them in a psychologically informed way—paying attention to personal difficulties that arise and how to work with them.
Women can be part of the PIPE programme for up to two years, progressing through different stages of support. Alongside this, we have been working at HMP Send, offering trauma-informed, participatory courses. The design of sessions changes according to participants’ needs, barriers, and motivation.
Our most recent course covered topics such as gut health, food and mood, commensality, skin health, sleep hygiene, nutrition for PMS, anxiety and diabetes, and cooking skills. Taking a strengths-based approach, we encourage participants to share their knowledge with peers, helping to build confidence and trust in the group. Some members were confident cooks and supported others in developing these skills.
Flexibility is essential in prison sessions, as participants bring a range of emotions and experiences each week. Group dynamics can vary—from cohesive to challenging—but navigating this while sharing information is both demanding and rewarding. Each group is unique, and we value the unexpected conversations that arise.
The sessions encourage an appreciation of food beyond its nutritional value—how it supports wellbeing through self-nurture, identity, self-esteem, and relationships.
In a previous course, two participants initially struggled to engage and dominated discussions. In a later course, both attended every session, engaging thoughtfully with the nutrition content. They asked insightful questions and shifted focus from food preparation to understanding and applying what they learned. Seeing their growth was a highlight and a testament to the PIPE programme. One said in the final session:
“This is the best thing I’ve ever done in prison.”
Putting Learning into Practice
Each week, we focus on a different topic and prepare food that complements the learning. In our “food and mood” session, we made mackerel pâté with yogurt—a Food Matters favourite that often converts those who dislike mackerel. The group was divided on the taste, but several women later bought seeds from the canteen as a vegetarian source of Omega-3, inspired by our discussion on how to obtain nutrients from available prison food. They were excited to put learning into practice.
We use recipes with accessible ingredients so participants can apply changes immediately. Together, we identify barriers in the prison environment and work as a group to find solutions. In the most recent course, women paired up to share the cost of more expensive items (like dates, only available around Eid) or perishable foods such as avocados.
These small changes show that working with food goes far beyond eating—it involves collaboration, wellbeing, problem-solving, and adaptation.
Prison Diets
A key discussion point was the difficulty of changing the canteen list—the list of items people in prison can buy with their own money to supplement meals from the central kitchen. The canteen also includes essentials such as toiletries and stationery.
Each prison’s canteen list is made up of a limited number of items from the National Product List (NPL). People in prison should have opportunities to influence which NPL items are added locally, though this doesn’t always happen. Supplementing food is also not possible for those with limited or no funds.
Many of the food options on the canteen are Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs) such as biscuits and crisps, and fresh fruits such as bananas often arrive green, perfectly ripe, or overripe. This is both a challenge and often a waste of money if you end up with 6 bananas on the turn and no way of using them.
In one session, the group reflected on how understanding nutritional content felt empowering. The sugar cube activity—showing how much sugar is in popular drinks—was particularly impactful. One woman reduced sugar in her tea from three tablespoons to none after understanding its effect on mood and energy. Though hesitant to share, the group’s encouragement made her feel supported.
The Positive Impact of Food in Prison
Rates of disordered eating and self-harm are higher in women’s prisons. In June 2024, the Ministry of Justice reported that one in three women in prison had self-harmed—the highest rate ever recorded and eight times higher than in men’s prisons. The rate of eating disorders among women in prison is roughly double that of the general population.
Research consistently shows that nutritionally rich diets have direct impacts on physical and mental health, including in prisons. Studies suggest that following a Mediterranean diet can improve symptoms of depression and anxiety. In a 2002 study, prisoners receiving supplements of vitamins, minerals, and Omega-3 committed 37% fewer violent offences and 26% fewer offences overall, while rates remained unchanged in the placebo group. These results echo that of research that suggests that lower levels of Omega-3 in the blood are associated with self-harm and impulsivity – reiterating both the need for higher levels of Omega-3 in prison diets, and nutritional education.
The Prison Reform Trust highlights that data from 2023–24 show 30% of women in prison reported having a drug issue. Micronutrient, antioxidant, gut microbiome, and iron levels can all be negatively affected by substance misuse, impacting physical and mental health. When appropriate, we support individuals to nourish themselves adequately, helping reduce cravings.
These findings suggest that nutrition may help reduce behaviours and poor mental health associated with substance misuse and offending. This research informs our course content, helping participants improve wellbeing and support recovery.
We also explore the cultural and social role of food – for example, by looking at the complex relationship between food and guilt, the limits of willpower, and how adjusting the food environment can support healthier choices. We discuss reframing “failure” as learning and work together to set realistic goals for change.
We see food as a tool to bring people together, build relationships, and express identity and culture. Making informed food choices is a step towards wellbeing; and in a very controlled environment, being empowered with the knowledge of how to fuel yourself optimally gives back a sense of control. Moreover, food cuts across so many topics – from social skills and etiquette, to sport, cultural understanding, to education and communication. Using food as an entry point, we support prisoners to eat better while promoting physical and mental wellbeing, employability, and engagement in rehabilitation.
When eating together, conversations turn to food, identity, and commensality. The joy of cooking and eating together was deeply felt—especially meaningful given restrictions on kitchen use. In one session, even the prison officer noted how special the experience was.
If you’d like to read more, see our Project Lead and Nutritionist Helen Sandwell’s paper Healthy Eating Advice as Part of Drug Treatment in Prisons, and our report Food Matters in Prisons, which explores why food matters in prisons and showcases examples of best practice.
In this blog we reflect on our work in HMP SEND and why food matters in prisons. Through trauma-informed food and nutrition courses we support women in prison to build wellbeing, confidence, and healthier relationships with food while navigating the challenges of the prison environment.
For the last three years, we’ve been working with the PIPE (Psychologically Informed Planned Environments) unit at HMP Send. These special units support the progression of offenders with complex needs and personality-related difficulties as part of the Offender Personality Disorder (OPD) pathway. Services focus on the environment, recognising the importance of relationships and interactions. PIPE staff receive additional training to develop psychological understanding of their clients and create a safe, supportive environment that helps people in prison build skills to navigate daily situations.
PIPE’s approach is to emulate ordinary situations participants may encounter in everyday life and address them in a psychologically informed way—paying attention to personal difficulties that arise and how to work with them.
Women can be part of the PIPE programme for up to two years, progressing through different stages of support. Alongside this, we have been working at HMP Send, offering trauma-informed, participatory courses. The design of sessions changes according to participants’ needs, barriers, and motivation.
Our most recent course covered topics such as gut health, food and mood, commensality, skin health, sleep hygiene, nutrition for PMS, anxiety and diabetes, and cooking skills. Taking a strengths-based approach, we encourage participants to share their knowledge with peers, helping to build confidence and trust in the group. Some members were confident cooks and supported others in developing these skills.
Flexibility is essential in prison sessions, as participants bring a range of emotions and experiences each week. Group dynamics can vary—from cohesive to challenging—but navigating this while sharing information is both demanding and rewarding. Each group is unique, and we value the unexpected conversations that arise.
The sessions encourage an appreciation of food beyond its nutritional value—how it supports wellbeing through self-nurture, identity, self-esteem, and relationships.
In a previous course, two participants initially struggled to engage and dominated discussions. In a later course, both attended every session, engaging thoughtfully with the nutrition content. They asked insightful questions and shifted focus from food preparation to understanding and applying what they learned. Seeing their growth was a highlight and a testament to the PIPE programme. One said in the final session:
“This is the best thing I’ve ever done in prison.”
Putting Learning into Practice
Each week, we focus on a different topic and prepare food that complements the learning. In our “food and mood” session, we made mackerel pâté with yogurt—a Food Matters favourite that often converts those who dislike mackerel. The group was divided on the taste, but several women later bought seeds from the canteen as a vegetarian source of Omega-3, inspired by our discussion on how to obtain nutrients from available prison food. They were excited to put learning into practice.
We use recipes with accessible ingredients so participants can apply changes immediately. Together, we identify barriers in the prison environment and work as a group to find solutions. In the most recent course, women paired up to share the cost of more expensive items (like dates, only available around Eid) or perishable foods such as avocados.
These small changes show that working with food goes far beyond eating—it involves collaboration, wellbeing, problem-solving, and adaptation.
Prison Diets
A key discussion point was the difficulty of changing the canteen list—the list of items people in prison can buy with their own money to supplement meals from the central kitchen. The canteen also includes essentials such as toiletries and stationery.
Each prison’s canteen list is made up of a limited number of items from the National Product List (NPL). People in prison should have opportunities to influence which NPL items are added locally, though this doesn’t always happen. Supplementing food is also not possible for those with limited or no funds.
Many of the food options on the canteen are Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs) such as biscuits and crisps, and fresh fruits such as bananas often arrive green, perfectly ripe, or overripe. This is both a challenge and often a waste of money if you end up with 6 bananas on the turn and no way of using them.
In one session, the group reflected on how understanding nutritional content felt empowering. The sugar cube activity—showing how much sugar is in popular drinks—was particularly impactful. One woman reduced sugar in her tea from three tablespoons to none after understanding its effect on mood and energy. Though hesitant to share, the group’s encouragement made her feel supported.
The Positive Impact of Food in Prison
Rates of disordered eating and self-harm are higher in women’s prisons. In June 2024, the Ministry of Justice reported that one in three women in prison had self-harmed—the highest rate ever recorded and eight times higher than in men’s prisons. The rate of eating disorders among women in prison is roughly double that of the general population.
Research consistently shows that nutritionally rich diets have direct impacts on physical and mental health, including in prisons. Studies suggest that following a Mediterranean diet can improve symptoms of depression and anxiety. In a 2002 study, prisoners receiving supplements of vitamins, minerals, and Omega-3 committed 37% fewer violent offences and 26% fewer offences overall, while rates remained unchanged in the placebo group. These results echo that of research that suggests that lower levels of Omega-3 in the blood are associated with self-harm and impulsivity – reiterating both the need for higher levels of Omega-3 in prison diets, and nutritional education.
The Prison Reform Trust highlights that data from 2023–24 show 30% of women in prison reported having a drug issue. Micronutrient, antioxidant, gut microbiome, and iron levels can all be negatively affected by substance misuse, impacting physical and mental health. When appropriate, we support individuals to nourish themselves adequately, helping reduce cravings.
These findings suggest that nutrition may help reduce behaviours and poor mental health associated with substance misuse and offending. This research informs our course content, helping participants improve wellbeing and support recovery.
We also explore the cultural and social role of food – for example, by looking at the complex relationship between food and guilt, the limits of willpower, and how adjusting the food environment can support healthier choices. We discuss reframing “failure” as learning and work together to set realistic goals for change.
We see food as a tool to bring people together, build relationships, and express identity and culture. Making informed food choices is a step towards wellbeing; and in a very controlled environment, being empowered with the knowledge of how to fuel yourself optimally gives back a sense of control. Moreover, food cuts across so many topics – from social skills and etiquette, to sport, cultural understanding, to education and communication. Using food as an entry point, we support prisoners to eat better while promoting physical and mental wellbeing, employability, and engagement in rehabilitation.
When eating together, conversations turn to food, identity, and commensality. The joy of cooking and eating together was deeply felt—especially meaningful given restrictions on kitchen use. In one session, even the prison officer noted how special the experience was.
If you’d like to read more, see our Project Lead and Nutritionist Helen Sandwell’s paper Healthy Eating Advice as Part of Drug Treatment in Prisons, and our report Food Matters in Prisons, which explores why food matters in prisons and showcases examples of best practice.
