Key themes that drive our work:
Collaboration and Building Community
We have supported relational work to develop bonds between Council members and between Council members and researchers, ensuring effective collaboration and a supportive environment.
Research and Advocacy
The Council consistently focuses on integrating lived experiences into research, identifying gaps in prison healthcare, and advocating for policy changes.
Feasibility and Funding
Discussions often include assessing the feasibility of proposed projects and securing funding to sustain the Council’s work
Guest Speaker Engagement
Guest speakers doing work related to prison health provide insights which inform the Council’s ongoing discussions and planning. Council members engage with the guest speakers and give feedback on their projects based on vital lived experience.
Council Goals
The key goals of the Council are to:
- contribute to and give feedback on prison health research projects
- explore opportunities to co-develop research
- discover the scope of the field of prison health research in Ontario and beyond
- exchange resources and opportunities both internal and external
Ultimately, we aim to use this work to advocate for the health of people who are still in prison or recently released. The Council is unique in that priorities are determined by Council members, not by academic researchers.
One specific goal of the Council is to act as a hub for anything involving prison health research, where researchers or others can, for example, come to ask questions, seek resources, identify people to partner with, find study participants, or share speaking engagement opportunities. Are you interested? Get in touch.