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Canadian correctional officers, institutionalization, and the social impacts of prison work

Faculty Advisor

Date

2024

Keywords

correctional officers, prisonization, institutionalization, prison work, mental health, latent culture

Abstract (summary)

Researchers often use institutionalization to explain the psychological impact of imprisonment on incarcerated people, but little is known about how institutionalization processes may impact other actors in prison, such as correctional officers (COs). New research consistently describes prison work as a damaging experience, something that significantly impacts short and long-term health outcomes of COs. A broad reading of the institutionalization literature demonstrates remarkable similarities to CO mental health research, raising questions about whether institutionalization frameworks can help us understand prison work. We draw on 131 interviews with Canadian COs to examine this possibility, and find that COs draw broad institutionalization narratives framing prison work as a distinctly harmful experience with lasting impacts on their personalities, identities, and relationships. We conclude by discussing the implications of using institutionalization as a means of understanding correctional work.

Publication Information

Stevens, L., & Schultz, W. J. (2024). Canadian correctional officers, institutionalization, and the social impacts of prison work. Incarceration, https://doi.org/10.1177/26326663241255062

Notes

Item Type

Article

Language

Rights

Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC)