A reflection on Gavin Mooney's citizen jury on offender health

Abstract

In The Health of Nations: Towards a New Political Economy, Gavin Mooney (2012) strongly argues that more can be done to improve peoples’ health in both developing and developed countries. One central way forward provided is for governments to replace market-led ‘neoliberal’ policies with community-led policies. An important component in building this case involves understanding health care as a social institution and health in terms of its social determinants. This in turn suggests the need for a critically informed assessment and determination of the principles and priorities in health care policy, best provided by the community. In recognition of this need, Gavin’s Citizens Jury work, in part, sought to challenge assumptions that communities of lay people are unable to provide sophisticated policy advice on broad, complex and contentious issues (Mooney 2012). This article documents and reflects on Gavin’s last Citizens Jury, highlighting links between the social understandings and political economies of health and incarceration. A brief overview of Gavin’s Citizens Juries work is provided, together with discussion of insights gained for improving methodology for future studies. In the months before his tragic death Gavin was involved in research to test the Citizens Jury approach for exploring the public’s views on the treatment of offenders. Given the emotive nature of such a topic, this Citizens Jury provided a pertinent test of the community’s ability to provide sophisticated advice on a complex policy issue. Show more