The University of the West of England was funded by the south west Health and Social Care in Criminal Justice Programme (HSCCJ) to develop a regional offender health and social care research network. The project is led by Dr Nick de Viggiani from UWE in collaboration with the south west HSCCJ programme board and the Prison Health Research Programme with the School of Health and Social Care at UWE. The project is also linked to the work of the Prison Health Research Network of the Department of Health. The principal objective of HSCCJ is to ensure effective and appropriate co-ordination and dissemination of evidence-driven best practice within health and social care provision, across the offender pathway

The aim of the Project is to foster a sustainable and collaborative research culture and infrastructure across criminal justice settings in the South-West of England, through:

• Promoting health and social care research and development across the offender pathway, reflecting local and regional needs and priorities;
• Facilitating and supporting multi-disciplinary, multi-agency research collaboration;
• Developing the network of research-active, collaborating prisons and criminal justice settings;
• Harnessing local expertise in research ethics and governance, research methodologies and research funding;
• Developing and facilitating research training opportunities within the region;
• Sharing research intelligence and expertise (via printed and electronic media);
• Developing the website to support the project;
• Organising stakeholder meetings and events to acknowledge and share experiences and expertise.

The project team is developing contacts across south-west-based criminal justice and academic institutions and agencies and gathering local research intelligence. The network will eventually be a catalyst for emerging multi-professional/agency research partnerships, achieved through dissemination and sharing of information, and collaboration via network meetings and events.