Training Blog

In 2008 a £1,000,000 trial was launched to find out if giving young offenders nutritional supplements reduced anti-social behaviour in prison. In the study 1,000 young offenders from 3 institutions in the UK were given a mixture of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acid supplements on top of their normal prison diet. The behaviour of these offenders was compared to those on the placebo. The study was essentially a larger scale version of a study that was carried out in Aylesbury, which had shown a favourable impact on violence and ill discipline. The idea that better nutrition can change behaviour is a very attractive one, doing this is in the form of a pill is both simple and very cheap

It is important to point out that the aim of the study was not about improving prison food, which the team believe is – from a nutritional perspective at least – more than satisfactory. According to a Professor at Oxford University, Professor John Stein: “The problem is that prisoners do not make good dietary choices, and that’s what we’re trying to overcome.

The idea that what we eat can have an impact upon how we behave is not a new concept. However Frances Cook says: “A society which really believes that a young offender society which really believes a young offender can be cured by a capsule which he takes back to his cell and consumes with his chips has got some serious thinking to do.”

The impact of fish oil on anti-social behaviour takes us into uncharted waters. It appears to be highly effective, and the only ‘risk’ from a better diet is better health. Omega-3 was one of the main components of the cocktail of 30 nutrients to bring the offender’s intake of vitamins and minerals up to the government’s recommended daily amount. The researchers were looking for evidence the supplements were helping the participants curb impulsive urges which are viewed as a key features of anti-social behaviour.

The results showed that the offenders taking the capsules committed approximately 26% fewer disciplinary offences than those taking a placebo and committed 37% fewer violent crimes.

The findings are encouraging but it seems to me that it is like closing the stable door after the horse has already bolted as it is impossible to identify young offenders before they offend purely because there are too many people in the UK so it would take far too long and be very expensive. It is also likely to cause unrest as it involves singling people out. Alternatively issue it to all minors, but this is not a guaranteed way to eliminate young offenders as people still have free will and other issues in there lives such as poverty, family breakdowns and various other problems.