Beyond Bars

Campaign overview

Think Through Nutrition is working with the Ministry of Justice and HMPPS to tackle the significant mental health and behavioural challenges in prisons.

Building on our groundbreaking clinical trials, which have already shown that better nutrition can reduce violent offences by up to 37% and offences overall by up to 26%, our Beyond Bars campaign aims to improve prisoners’ nutrition, knowledge and habits - optimising health, mood and behaviour.

Utilising our ‘in-cell’ digital education programme, LANAH, our goal is to influence mental and physical health outcomes, ultimately supporting prisoners’ rehabilitation whilst helping to minimise food waste for more sustainable prisons.

Our approach includes:

  • Empowering prisoners to learn, track and measure their progress

  • Introducing a Red-Amber-Green (RAG) rated menu system, working with Catering Managers to improve guidance and create healthier food options

  • Supporting HMPPS’ rehabilitation programme, sharing best practice for nutrition education across the prison estate

  • Building evidence for economic, social and health best practice alongside a cost-benefit model to encourage investment in nutrition education and better food provision

Impact and reach

Our pilot of Beyond Bars will reach a community of 4,500 prisoners and staff across four prisons before expanding to wider prisons across England and Wales using in-cell digital technology. With the potential to transform the way in which mental health is managed in prisons, our goal is to use project data to demonstrate a clear return on investing in nutrition, influencing national food provision and education strategies in future.

Support us

You can help us transform mental health and rehabilitation strategies
in prisons.