She articulated how philosophy encouraged prisoners to listen to each other, develop empathy and can promote positive ‘growth’ identities.

Kirstine’s research has been picked up by a range of news outlets including the Telegraph, the Times and BBC World Service (at 43 minutes in https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w172w4k6mhggt9z).

Her work articulates the role of the social climate of a prison in shaping the experience of incarceration. She argues that this experience can have a clear impact on a prisoner’s identity, with a preoccupation with survival in a potentially dangerous environment, leading to the forming of hyper-masculine ‘survival’ identities. Instead, philosophy provides a space that could encourage the development of a future-oriented, positive, ‘growth’ identity.