Introduction: Occupational deprivation refers to a situation in which an individual does not have the possibility or access to meaningful occupations. This can lead to a range of negative consequences for an individual's physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Prisoners are often affected by occupational deprivation and occupational therapists have a role to play in addressing and reducing its effects. Purpose: To collect information available in the literature on occupational deprivation in prisoners. To describe the impact of occupational deprivation on prisoners and to identify the role of occupational therapy in occupational deprivation. Methods: A scoping review of the literature was conducted. A literature and resource search was conducted between February and April 2023 in the CINAHL, Web of Science, PubMed, PsycINFO, and OT Seeker databases. The search was conducted in English using the following formula: ((prison* OR jail OR incarceration OR detention OR correctional facility* OR inmate* OR criminal* OR offender) AND (occupational deprivation OR occupational injustice OR occupational justice OR occupational science)). Accessible full-text articles published in English on the topic of prison-related occupational deprivation were included in the review. The final analysis included eight articles. Results: We established five major themes: occupational deprivation as a form of punishment; negative environmental factors; consequences of occupational deprivation; positive effects of meaningful occupations; addressing the problem of occupational deprivation, which has two sub-themes: occupational enrichment as a solution to occupational deprivation; and occupational therapy in occupational deprivation. Discussion and conclusion: Prisoners' occupational deprivation refers to having limited access and opportunities to engage in meaningful and purposeful activities while incarcerated. This consequently increases the social and psychological challenges they face, hinders their overall well-being and chances of rehabilitation, and has a negative impact on their reintegration into the community. Occupational enrichment has been proposed as a solution to occupational deprivation. Occupational therapy is important for addressing and reducing the impact of occupational deprivation. The literature review contributes to a better understanding and awareness of the issue of occupational deprivation among prisoners. In turn, these findings may help stimulate further research and solutions in this field.
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