Table 3 Imposition of a culture of acceptance

3a) Opportunities that arise from austerity programmes in prisons

Opportunities to think afresh, examine what we do, and [explore] different ways of working. (Participant 22, Advisor to a European intergovernmental organisation)

3b) Avoidance of the term “austerity” by the bureaucrats because of its political nature

[W] e hardly use the word austerity … but we all know we’re working in a resource-constrained environment. (Participant 29, Consultant for an international health organisation)

3c) The lack of impact of the independent inquiry mechanisms on prison operations

[In 2017], the UK Human Rights Select Committee focused on prison operations. … [T] hen there was the Public Accounts Committee [in 2018], which considered prisons and their problems. But, the question is, do they make a difference to the Treasury? And the answer seems to be no. So, the question I would ask is “Why not?” (Participant 12)

We have a system where people are dying [and] we have a system where people are falling through the cracks. The problem is that … it is a prison setting. If it happened in the community, there would be a lot of disquiet and a lot of uproar in the media. Because it happens in prisons, there is not that same level of concern about it. (Participant 4)

3d) Comparison between England and the United States with regard to cuts in public sector spending

England has done it in the most complete and consistent manner. [The government has] actually cut spending across the board. In the United States, the fiscal conservatism is very selective about where it cuts. (Participant 10, Advisor to a European anti-torture organisation)