Journal

ID: ACJ21-A006 08 Oct 2026

by Dorien Brosens, Liesbeth Naessens, Sylvie Van Dam, Kenneth Chambaere, Louis Favril, Nina Harth, Silke Marynissen, Peter Raeymaeckers, Sara Rowaert, Yoni Strijbol, Stijn Vandevelde, Marjolein van der Werf, Louise Van Gysel, Liesbeth De Donder

Article 6: Co-creative Research as a Driver for Change in Prison Practice and Policy: the “Peer Support Innovating Prisons” (PIP) project

Advancing Corrections Journal - Edition #21 - Effecting Change in Corrections | Article 6 (ACJ21-A006)

https://doi.org/10.65264/ICBV2282

Abstract
Peer support programs are increasingly implemented in prisons, and a growing body of research has explored their outcomes for both incarcerated persons and prisons. Nevertheless, important questions remain about how such initiatives can be effectively designed, implemented, and sustained. This paper presents the Peers support Innovating Prisons (PIP) project, a co-creative research project in Belgium that examines peer support in prison through a realist and participatory action research approach. During the preparatory phase of the project, societal stakeholders, including people with lived or living experience of imprisonment, prison staff, activity providers, and policymakers, actively contributed to shaping the research project. Their involvement continues throughout the execution of the project in three ways: (1) a Societal Advisory Committee and (2) a group of people with lived and/or living experience with whom we regularly discuss the different phases of the project, and (3) four Living Labs in which innovative peer support initiatives are co-created, implemented and evaluated. This paper reflects on how such active collaboration between researchers and societal stakeholders may contribute to the generation of knowledge about peer support, and (hopefully) to sustainable change within prison policy and practice.

Keywords: Co-creation, Societal Stakeholders, Participatory Action Research, Peer Programs

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Authors

Dorien Brosens

Professor/ Postdoctoral Researcher, Research group Participation and Learning in Detention, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium

Dorien Brosens is assistant professor/ postdoctoral researcher at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), and co-director of the research group PArticipation and Learning in Detention (PALD). Her research mainly focuses on peer programs, active citizenship, and innovative types of learning in prisons. She coordinates the “Peer support Innovating Prisons” (PIP)-project.

Liesbeth Naessens

Researcher / Lecturer, Odisee University of Applied Sciences, Belgium

Liesbeth Naessens is a researcher at the Research Center for Social Work and a lecturer in the Bachelor of Social Work programme at Odisee University of Applied Sciences. Her research focuses on social work in criminal justice settings, particularly in relation to reintegration, human rights, and social justice.

Sylvie Van Dam

Researcher / Lecturer, Odisee University of Applied Sciences, Belgium

Sylvie Van Dam is a lecturer in social work at the Odisee University of Applied Sciences and a visiting professor of sociology and social work at the University of Antwerp. She is a researcher at the Research Centre for Social Work (Odisee) on topics such as (informal) social work, migration, support in detention, and social exclusion.

Kenneth Chambaere

Professor, End-of-Life Care Research Group, Ghent University & Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium

Kenneth Chambaere is a sociologist and professor at the End-of-Life Care Research Group, within the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at Ghent University, Belgium. For almost 20 years, he has been involved in end-of-life research, particularly around three central themes: end-of-life practices such as assisted dying (euthanasia) and palliative sedation; community approaches to care for serious illness, dying and bereavement, and; palliative and end-of-life care for vulnerable groups, such as people with severe and persistent mental illness, people in prison, older people who are tired of life, or newborns.

Louis Favril

Professor, Department of Criminology, Criminal Law and Social Law, Ghent University, Belgium

Louis Favril has a background in clinical psychology (MSc) and criminology (MSc, PhD). He is a professor at the Faculty of Law and Criminology, Ghent University. His research focuses on mental health and addiction among people involved in the criminal justice system and other vulnerable populations.

Nina Harth

Doctoral Researcher, End-of-Life Care Research Group, Ghent University & Research group Participation and Learning in Detention, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium

Nina Harth is a doctoral researcher at the End-of-Life Care Research Group at Ghent University, Belgium. She has a background in nursing and health sciences (MSc.). Her research focuses on peer programs around serious illness, death and loss in prison.

Silke Marynissen

Postdoctoral Researcher, Research group Participation and Learning in Detention, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium

Silke Marynissen is a postdoctoral researcher at the research group PArticipation and Learning in Detention (PALD) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Her research focuses on participatory music-making and innovative types of learning in prison.

Peter Raeymaeckers

Professor, Centre for Research on Environmental and Social Change, University of Antwerp, Belgium

Peter Raeymaeckers Peter Raeymaeckers professor of Social Work and Sociology at the University of Antwerp, and affiliated with the Center for Research on Ecological and Social Change (CRESC). His main topics of interest are nonprofit governance, advocacy, social work, evaluation, and governance.

Sara Rowaert

Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, Belgium

Sara Rowaert is postdoctoral researcher at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (UGent) and ScienceForCare (PC Sint-Jan-Baptist). Her research focuses on family engagement and family recovery in (forensic) mental healthcare contexts.

Yoni Strijbol

Doctoral Researcher, Centre for Research on Environmental and Social Change, University of Antwerp, Belgium

Yoni Strijbol is a doctoral researcher at the Centre for Research on Environmental and Social Change (CRESC) at University of Antwerp and at the research group PArticipation and Learning in Detention (PALD) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Her research focuses on peer support initiatives that support the transition from prison to community life and processes of reintegration.

Stijn Vandevelde

Professor, Department of Special Needs Education, Ghent University, Belgium

Stijn Vandevelde is associate professor at the Department of Special Needs Education of Ghent University (UGent). His research focuses on strengths-based support of people in societal vulnerable situations.

Marjolein van der Werf

Research group Participation and Learning in Detention, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium & Centre for Research on Environmental and Social Change, University of Antwerp, Belgium

Marjolein van der Werf is a doctoral researcher at the research group PArticipation and Learning in Detention (PALD) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and Centre for Research on Environmental and Social Change (CRESC) at University of Antwerp. Her research focuses on peer support initiatives in prisons that are initiated and/or designed by people in detention.

Louise Van Gysel

Doctoral Researcher, Department of Special Needs Education, Ghent University, Belgium & Research group Participation and Learning in Detention, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium

Louise Van Gysel is a doctoral researcher at the Department of Special Needs Education at Ghent University and at the research group PArticipation and Learning in Detention (PALD) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Her research focuses on peer programs in prisons, with a particular interest in the emotional needs of people in prison, as well as (family) peer support work in (forensic) mental health care.

Liesbeth De Donder

Professor, Research Group Participation and Learning in Detention, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium

Liesbeth De Donder is professor adult educational sciences at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and director of the research group PArticipation and Learning in Detention (PALD). Liesbeth is promotor of the “Peer support Innovating Prisons” (PIP)-project.

Article 6: Co-creative Research as a Driver for Change in Prison Practice and Policy: the “Peer Support Innovating Prisons” (PIP) project

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