Increasing the Quality of Life of the Prison Officers and their Families by Recovering their Work Capacity

The prison officers belong to a slightly known category, despite the transparency ensured after 1989 both by strengthening the relationship with the media institutions and by organizing the "open days" activities. They work in a closed environment between 8 and 12 hours a day, inconstant interaction with a relatively stable population the size of the administrative-territorial unit of a village type. The working schedule is on the one hand routine, on the other hand impacted by unforeseen situations, from those of major risk to those related to the management of the relationship and communication issues within the groups formed in the detention rooms. The mission is twofold, one side consisting in actions taken to maintain the security and safety of the community and the place of detention, and the other side represent the contribution to the education / re-education of convicts by influencing them, both directly and indirectly. The prison staff is seen as a teaching tool itself, their example being the trigger factor of the prisoners’ desire to change. Taking in consideration the numerical ratio between staff and prisoners, the situations in which one can ‘abdicate’ from the mission are excluded, so that the efficiency of the activity is conditioned by the maintenance of a continuous state of alert. After the working schedule, the prison officers continue their personal life, ensuring adequate emotional support for family members, participating in activities of the group of friends, etc., without projecting the accumulated stress from the workplace. But, intentionally or not, the transfer occurs, so that the effects of working in a closed environment marked by tensions and negative emotional charge are also felt by those close to them. Through their work, the prison officers contribute to the increasing of the quality of life to the community they belong to and the quality of life in detention (ensuring community security, individual and group safety, supporting the educational/re-educational process, ensuring somato-psycho-emotional health, etc.).Starting from this reality, through an opinion poll, we identified some of the needs to recover the work capacity, a necessary step to ensure a quality life for prison staff.

What Were the Processes and Outcomes of Offering Shared Reading as an Intervention for Veterans in Prison?

The charity Reading Force encourages Forces families to read together in order to build social, emotional, and mental well-being and offset the impact of the changes and separations routine in military life. They distribute reading scrapbooks and free books and encourage families to work on them together. It was suggested that a version of the project might usefully be developed for veterans in prison, whose families experience many of the same issues. Scrapbook Dads was developed for veterans housed in the Endeavour Wing at Parc Prison, South Wales. The materials were adapted for use by prisoners and their families. They had just been distributed when the pandemic struck, visiting and social/educational activities were cancelled, and the prison went into lockdown. With the materials readily available, the project was heavily used by prison staff to seek to maintain prisoner morale and support family connectivity. This paper charts the process, comments on what was learned, and makes recommendations for how shared reading can be used in prisons in future.

Contradictory regimes of practice: Constructs and discourses in an open prison

Using concepts from Kelly and Foucault, analysis of interviews in the mid-1990s with staff in an English open prison explores how contrasting discourses are reconciled. Two superficially antagonistic discursive formations within prison practice are described: a discourse of discipline/control and an ethic of reform and reclaiming “spoiled” criminals for good and productive life. While rhetorically at odds, they are reconciled in the working practices of prison staff, with discipline as a necessary precondition for reform. The open prisons stand for the rehabilitative ethic and the staff are proud of their work, but by the 1990s prison policy had begun to dissociate itself from promises of reform, in response to research conclusions that residential care was ineffective. This case study shows how discourses survive when they are disowned by their “owners.” The research has wider implications for an understanding of hierarchical relationships between discourses and construct-sets that prescribe different practices.

Covid-19 among the population deprived of liberty in Brazil and in the state of Paraná

The aim of this study was to compare Covid-19 incidence and mortality among population deprived of liberty (PDL), prison staff and general population in Brazil and in the state of Paraná. The methods consisted in data collection from weekly reports from the Nacional Justice Board and Health Ministry, between June and December 2020. Covid-19 testing, infection, mortality, and lethality rates were compared among PDL, prison staff and Brazil and Paraná’s general population. As for the results, compared to the general population, the relative risk of Covid-19 confirmed case among PDL was 1.594 (CI 95% 1.578 – 1.610) in Brazil and 3.055 (CI 95% 2.941 – 3.173) in Paraná. The proportion of test per national population was 22.86%, 44.42% and 4.45% among PDL, prison staff and general population, respectively. In Paraná, the testing rate was 8.19% in PDL, 42.98% in prison staff and 12.70% in the general population. In conclusion, the proportion of Covid-19 cases is greater in prisons than in the general population and the testing of PDL should be amplified.

PENTINGNYA PELAYANAN KESEHATAN KEPADA NARAPIDANA MUDA DI LEMBAGA PEMASYARAKATAN

Young prisoners’ health needs represent a matter of constant importance for any prison administration. These are addressed through direct medical services, as well as through other activities of health promotion. If the medical services are provided by trained medical staff, health promotion is usually provided by non-medical staff, such as social workers, psychologists, educators etc. Also, because healthy behaviors are best promoted through social modeling, such activities require the involvement of all prison staff, including non-specialists such as guardians. Thus, for health promotion to be effective it needs to be approached by the whole prison staff, meaning that the medical and non-medical specialists, as well as other prison staff need to have a common understanding of young prisoners health needs and to work as a team. This can be done through prison staff training. The article addresses these issues by summarizing the Indonesia country reports of the project “Health Promotion for Young Prisoners” funded in the framework of the Public Health Program.

Uptake of Covid–19 vaccines among frontline workers in California state prisons

Background Prisons are high–risk environments for Covid–19. Vaccination levels among prison staff remain troublingly low – lower than levels among residents and members of the surrounding community. The situation is troubling because prison staff are a key vector for Covid–19 transmission. Objective To assess patterns and timing of staff vaccination in California state prisons and identify individual– and community–level factors associated with being unvaccinated. Design We calculated fractions of prison staff and incarcerated residents in California state prisons who remained unvaccinated. Adjusted analyses identified demographic, community, and peer factors associated with vaccination uptake among staff. Setting California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation prisons. Participants Custody and healthcare staff who worked in direct contact with residents. Main Outcomes and Measures Remaining unvaccinated through June 30, 2021. Results A total of 26 percent of custody staff and 52 percent of healthcare staff took ≥ 1 dose in the first two months of vaccine offer; uptake stagnated thereafter. By June 30, 2021, 61 percent of custody and 37 percent of healthcare staff remained unvaccinated. Remaining unvaccinated was positively associated with younger age, prior Covid–19, residing in a community with relatively low vaccination rates, and sharing shifts with co–workers who had relatively low vaccination rates. Conclusions and Relevance Vaccine uptake among prison staff in California in regular contact with incarcerated residents has plateaued at levels that pose ongoing risks – both of further outbreaks in the prisons and transmission into surrounding communities. Staff decisions to forego vaccination appear to be complex and multifactorial. Achieving safe levels of vaccine protection among frontline staff may necessitate requiring vaccination as condition of employment.

The Taint of The Other: Prison Work as ‘Dirty Work’ In Australia

This article explores how prison staff in Australia view their work and how their work is viewed by others, by applying a theoretical framework of ‘dirty work’. ‘Dirty work’ is a social construction that refers to tasks that are ‘physically, socially or morally tainted’ ( Ashforth and Kreiner, 1999 ; Hughes, 1958 ) and this article will apply this concept to prison staff in Australia for the first time. The discussion is based on qualitative research in seven different Australian prisons, ranging from high to low security. The article illustrates how staff responds to working in a ‘dirty’ profession by reframing, refocusing, and recalibrating their daily work tasks; how the staff uniform can be utilised as a status shield and protector from taint; and how the stigma of ‘dirtiness’ tends to foster strong occupational and workgroup cultures which in turn makes cultural change of a profession difficult. The consequences of the dirty work stigma for staff and prisoners are discussed, with a focus on informal interactions, case work and dynamic security.

Bridging the Gap? Ex-Military Personnel and Military–Civilian Transition Within the Prison Workforce

Prior research into military–civilian transition has suggested that the Prison Service may be a popular destination for Armed Forces leavers, but the experience of former military personnel within the prison system as prison staff (rather than as Veterans in Custody) has so far been overlooked. As a result, we know very little about their route into prison work. This article reports on a UK study investigating the experience of prison personnel who have previously served in the military and presents the first set of empirical evidence addressing these critical questions. Whilst our findings mirror prevailing assumptions of a relatively seamless transition to post-military careers (and, in particular, those within Protective Service Occupations), few had intended a career in prison work specifically. Such trajectories may influence personal military–civilian transitions, as well as job performance in prison work and, by extension, the everyday lives of prisoners and other prison staff.

COVID-19 mitigation strategies for reduced transmission in U.S. prisons

During the global COVID-19 pandemic, prisons have been the center of numerous outbreaks. Current efforts in virus containment have largely failed, due to a lack of standardized guidelines and reporting of key data regarding testing, cases, and deaths within state prisons. This article addresses challenges associated with pandemic management in prisons and policy options to reduce risk to inmates, prison staff, and the communities surrounding prisons. A comprehensive framework for evaluating a state prison’s virus management can facilitate improved responses, in particular amongst the rise of more virulent strains and ongoing cases. Such a framework may also serve as guidance in other situations of a similar nature.

Well-being programmes in prisons in England and Wales: a mixed-methods study

Purpose In the past decade, there has been growing awareness of well-being and its importance and an increase in the development of activities or programmes aimed at improving well-being. The purpose of this study is to investigate what well-being programmes were being offered to prisoners in England and Wales and what benefits and other outcomes were experienced. Design/methodology/approach The study used a mixed-methods exploratory design in two phases. Phase 1 was a questionnaire survey of all adult prisons in England and Wales, completed by prison staff. In Phase 2, a sample of survey respondents took part in in-depth interviews. Findings The programmes identified in Phase 1 included physical activities, creative arts, mindfulness, horticulture, reading and animal-assisted activities. Prison staff reported a range of universally positive outcomes shared by all programmes, including enthusiasm from prisoners, enjoyment of the activities and being able to do something different from the usual prison routine. However, in Phase 2, interviewees rarely mentioned direct health and well-being benefits. The impetus for programmes was varied and there was little reference to national policy on health and well-being; this reflected the ad hoc way in which programmes are developed, with a key role being played by the Well-being Officer, where these were funded. Originality/value The literature on well-being programmes in prisons is limited and tends to focus on specific types of initiatives, often in a single prison. This study contributes by highlighting the range of activities across prisons and elucidating the perspectives of those involved in running such programmes.