Prison Health Research Council advances community-partnered research with new CIHR funding

New federal funding will empower individuals with lived experience of incarceration in Canadian prisons to shape research on the health of people affected by incarceration. 

The funding was awarded to the Prison Health Research Council at McMaster University, which aims to meaningfully involve people with lived experience in guiding prison health research priorities, approaches, and knowledge translation. 

For more than a decade, researchers in McMaster’s Department of Family Medicine (DFM) have been conducting prison health research. Early efforts revealed that, while impactful, the work lacked meaningful community engagement, an essential component for addressing complex health and social issues within correctional settings.  

In response, the team established the Prison Health Research Council in 2023 with support from a Family Medicine Associates grant. This helped to create a dedicated group of individuals with lived experience to guide future research. Subsequent funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), including a Planning and Dissemination Grant, supported the council’s early development and knowledge-sharing work.  

The group has now received a $149,928 Catalyst Grant: Partnering for Impact from CIHR, extending its work for an additional year. The funding will support continued collaboration, capacity building, and efforts to improve health outcomes for people impacted by incarceration. 

As part of this next phase, the council will be partnering with Tiina Eldrige – both a council member and executive director of transformative justice non-profit Rittenhouse: A New Vision for this work. A key initiative will be mapping the concept of Post Incarceration Syndrome as an initial step toward research on this topic, which council members identified as a priority over the past year. 

Supported by DFM faculty and staff, including associate professor Fiona Kouyoumdjian, assistant clinical professor Claire Bodkin, research coordinator Jessica Gaber, and community investigator Lindsay Jennings, the council is composed of 10 members who have experienced incarceration in Canadian prisons.  

“The council represents an important shift in how research is done,” says Bodkin. “Working alongside people with lived experience strengthens the relevance and impact of our work, ensuring it reflects real-world needs and priorities.”  

The initiative emphasizes collaboration and partnership with people who have direct experience of incarceration. This approach aligns with growing recognition that engaging people with lived experience leads to more relevant, ethical, and impactful research.  

“My lived experience allows me to understand the health challenges, emotional strain, and systemic biases faced by those who experience incarceration,” says Kanor Kabutey, a council member.  

Since its launch, the council has contributed to a wide range of research and knowledge translation activities. Members meet regularly with researchers and organizations, contribute to grant applications and study design, and provide critical insight into issues such as mental health, substance use, and health care standards in correctional settings. 

The council has also shared its work at multiple conferences, including DFM’s Taking Flight conference, the Academic Consortium of Criminal Justice Health conference in Austin, Texas, and the Human Services and Justice Coordinating Committee national conference. 

“Being part of the council means more than sharing our stories. It means shaping the direction of the research itself. When people with lived experience are leading the work, the questions we ask and the solutions we design actually reflect the real needs of those impacted by incarceration,” says Jennings.  

“The council has created an environment of trust and operates with transparency, respect, and shared decision-making,” says Kabutey.  

By centering lived experience and fostering meaningful partnerships, the Prison Health Research Council is helping to address longstanding gaps in prison health research and ensuring that the voices of those most affected are heard. 

Learn more about the Prison Health Research Council by visiting their website.