Mock prison cell built to give students authentic interviewing and incarceration experiences
A mock prison cell has been built by Nottingham Trent University’s Psychology department for students to physically experience what it’s like to be interviewed and incarcerated.
The 2 x 3-metre cell – called PriSim - features a lock door and has been authentically dressed by theatre design students from the Nottingham School of Art & Design with sustainably sourced items such as clothes, books, toiletries and personal items.
HMP Nottingham also provided genuine prison kit, including bedding, plastic crockery, soap, toothbrush, and uniforms.
The facility includes a prison office setting and a one-way viewing panel for observation.
It will be primarily used by Psychology students for role play activities but will also be accessible for Criminology, Policing and Law students, as well as academic researchers.
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, MSc Forensic Psychology student, said: “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.”
NTU already has mock hospital and consultation rooms for students studying health and allied professions, such as Nursing and Paramedicine, and a court room for Law students to experience trial scenarios.