Prison populations face disproportionately high rates of mental health difficulties globally. Estimates suggest that up to 70% of incarcerated people experience common mental disorders, substance misuse, or dual diagnoses. Research into effective prison mental health support is therefore vital. Yet early career and PhD researchers in this field face compounded challenges, including exposure to traumatic material, professional isolation, and limited scope for methodological innovation within secure settings.

These pressures can affect both researcher wellbeing and the quality of research itself. Existing networks often focus on prisoner outcomes while overlooking the emotional and professional demands placed on researchers. There is therefore a clear need for a dedicated international network that supports early-career scholars through peer connection, trauma-informed support, interdisciplinary exchange, and collaborative capacity building.

This network aims to address those gaps by prioritising researcher mental health alongside the development of ethical, innovative, and context-sensitive prison research methods. By building an inclusive, trauma-informed, and interdisciplinary community, it seeks to strengthen both researcher resilience and the quality of scholarship globally.