How the ‘Shifting Focus’ photovoice project is highlighting paths forward with formerly incarcerated men
June 17, 2021
How do you move forward after being released from prison?
That’s the question at the heart of a community-based research project that had been meeting at the UBC Learning Exchange for four years before COVID-19 restrictions and has recently released a powerful photography project.
Called Trauma at the Root, the participatory project is a collaboration between UBC’s Collaborating Centre for Prison Health and Education (CCPHE) and John Howard Society of Canada that is exploring new ways to foster resilience among men who have been incarcerated.
“Research shows that incarcerated men often have some form of trauma in their backgrounds,” said Dr. Chris Richardson, principal investigator on the project. “Incarceration itself is also emerging as a recognized form of trauma, with impacts on physical and mental health–especially with respect to how men learn to manage stress. Add in the stigma that can be associated with incarceration and a feeling that, as a man, one can’t ask for help—these are difficult things for anyone to overcome.”
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