Nottingham Trent Uni builds mock prison cell for authentic incarceration experience

Dr Jenny Mackay, NTU principal lecturer in psychology, said: “We’ve made the cell as realistic as possible so we can accurately reflect the experiences of both a person serving a prison sentence and the authorities involved in the process.”

Hannah Bolton, who is studying MSc forensic psychology, also spoke about the practical knowledge this will give her and fellow students, saying: “The cell will help us take the theoretical knowledge that we’ve learnt in class and put it into real life experiences. When I first saw it, I was surprised by the size and how bare it was. I’ve volunteered with offenders after they’ve been released and now I can see what their living conditions and experience has been like.”

It is planned that the cell will be used for role play activities by psychology students, but criminology, policing and law students will also have access along with academic researchers.