Prisoners Living in Green Space Less Prone to Self-Harm, Violence

Providing more green space in prisons like adding more tress and lawns can lower the levels of violence and self-harm among prisoners, reveals a new study.

The study indicated that prisons with a higher presence of green space had lower levels of self-harm, and lower levels of prisoner-on-prisoner violence and assaults on prison staff.

Living Near Green Spaces may Delay Your Menopause
Does living near green spaces postpone the onset of menopause? Yes, menopause may get delayed naturally if one lives in greener neighborhoods.

‘Prisons with a lot of green space benefit prisoners by lowering their levels of self-harm and prisoner-on-prisoner violence and assaults on prison staff.’

Tweet it Now

"Our evidence shows clear and demonstrable benefits from the presence of green space for prisoners in all categories of prison," said lead researcher Dominique Moran from the University of Birmingham.

"It's clear that inclusion of green space should be a key design element for new prisons, and existing prisons should convert existing outdoor areas to provide more green space wherever possible," Moran added.

For the study, published in the journal Annals of the American Association of Geographers, the team used Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping to identify the percentages of green space within prisons in England and Wales.

Living Near Green Spaces can Lower Obesity Risk in Women
Go green to fight obesity: Staying in and around green spaces can help you lose weight. A new study highlights that women who live near natural spaces are less likely to be overweight or obese. So, hurry up, get ready to live green every day.

They compared this with available data about incidents of self-harm, prisoner assaults on staff and violence between prisoners.

They also drew on information about the age and function of individual establishments -- for example their capacity, what the security level was, whether they accommodated men, women or young offenders, and whether they were purpose-built prisons, or converted from other types of buildings such as military bases.

Green Spaces can Boost Your Health and Wellbeing
Go Green: Spending time in and around natural spaces (parks and forests) can boost your overall health and wellbeing. So, make sure to visit green spaces frequently to stay happy and healthy.

The study is significant since it demonstrates that the beneficial effects of nature contact, already recognized in other institutional contexts such as hospitals and schools, are also to be found in prisons, the researcher said.

Closer You Are to Green Space, Better is Your Mental Health
Closer you are to urban green space, greater is your happiness, sense of worth, and life satisfaction. Individuals feel positive emotions when exposed to natural environments.

Source-IANS