Preventing or inflicting risks? Carceral riskscapes and working in the spaces of mental health care

Abstract

This study participates in the discussion on risks and carceral spaces, and furthermore, introduces the concept of carceral riskscape. Since there is a strong, but less studied connection between risk and the carceral, this study combines these concepts to provide a new viewpoint on the mechanisms that create carceral spaces. Riskscapes represent spaces embedded with risk and they are usually referred to in connection with health or environmental hazards. The emphasis in this study is on the carceral riskscapes that working communities face in institutional premises. The study analyses the working culture of a geropsychiatric ward in Turku, Finland. Some of the staff members allegedly mistreated the patients and some of the carceral practices were also targeted at co-workers. The research is qualitative in nature and analyses documents from the inner reports to the trial documents. The findings of the study suggest that the relationships between staff members are significant in the context of carceral riskscapes. Furthermore, the carceral riskscapes cause inequalities and have influence on the well-being of the staff members as well as the quality of care.