Prison Work Research Articles

Being Assigned Work in Prison: Do Gender and Race Matter?

With a majority of inmates being assigned some type of work while incarcerated, work assignments are a staple of U.S. prisons. These work assignments are likely to impact not only prisoner behavior while in prison, but also may impact their ability to obtain gainful employment after prison. Historically, it has been noted that work in prison has been influenced by gender and racial norms and stereotypes. These stereotypical assignments may not be beneficial for inmates, especially in a time when work assignments are increasingly providing the only work skills inmates may receive while incarcerated. Using a nationwide data set of prisoners incarcerated facilities, the current study uses multilevel modeling to examine the nature of work assignments for male and female state prisoners and whether these assignments are based on gender and/or racial stereotypes. Results indicate that there are indeed lingering stereotypes influencing work assignments for men and women in U.S. prisons.

Alienation, segregation and resocialization: meanings of prison labor

In this paper we deal with senses which subjects in prison attribute to work realized in prison, trying to identify relations between these senses and the principles which try to legitimate work activities that reintegrate subject to society. To reach this objective, we’ve made case study based on semi structured interviews in a female unity of a center of social reintegration. Collected data was threaten through discourse analysis. Main conclusions are related to reinforce of problematizations about role of work in prison: if it is productor of accepted sociabilities, or if it is reproductor of social inequalities, as, in last level, criminality itself.

Behind bars

What motivates a dental professional to work in prisons? We hear from Rebecca Smithson on what it's like to work at HMP Wakefield and how she's felt more intimidated by patients in community settings than she has by inmates

O impacto da prisão na saúde mental dos presos do estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

The aim of this article is to assess the mental health status of inmates and people in custody in the state of Rio de Janeiro and the association between mental health and imprisonment using the Beck Depression Inventory and the Lipp Stress Symptom Inventory for Adults. 1,573 individuals, via stratified sampling with probability proportional to size. more than half have up to 29 years old; 70.6% were black/brown; 77.4% had strong family ties; 42.9% had been incarcerated for under a year; and 22,9% performed work tasks in prison. Stress: 35.8% of men and 57.9% of women. Factors associated with stress among men: length of time in prison and family ties. Male prisoners who had been in prison for between 1 and 9 years are 0.55 times less likely to experience stress symptoms than those who had been in prison for less than a year; those with regular/weak family ties are more likely to experience stress than those with strong ties. Women with only regular/weak family ties are more likely to experience stress; work tasks performed in prison was a protective factor. Depression: 7.5% of women and 6.3% of men. Among men, practicing a religion, maintaining strong family ties, and performing prison work tasks are protective factors. Among women, an association was found between depression and family ties.

Comentario a Elaine Crawley: Doing Prison Work. The public and private lives of prison officers

Comentario a Elaine Crawley: Doing Prison Work. The public and private lives of prison officers

Entre o discurso e a prisão: elementos para uma análise do trabalho prisional no Brasil contemporâneo

This paper presents an analysis of the prison work in the present-day in Brazil, detaching its ambivalence in the neoliberal penal system. The discussion is illustrated by the situation of the prison work in the “Penitenciaria Lemos de Brito” (PLB), the biggest prison of the state of Bahia. From the information gathered in the PLB through non-structured observation, interviews with staff of the prison and documentary analysis, the article connect a series of empirical researches about prison, seeking to build a portrait – initial and provisional – of the situation of the prison work in Brazil.

Ethical issues of prison nursing: A qualitative study in Northern Italy.

Prisons are contexts where nurses are required to have specific skills to ensure that, in a setting designed for the expiation of crime, prisoners receive the same type of care as anyone else. But this is not always the case, giving rise to ethical issues. 'How do correctional nurses describe their working experience in prisons? What issues emerged?' This is a qualitative descriptive study. Following purposive sampling, we conducted five focus groups. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Participants and research context: Our sample included 31 correctional nurses in seven prisons in Northern Italy. Ethical considerations: The scientific merit of this study was recognized by the Academic Board of the University of Genoa. Approval to conduct the study was obtained from the Liguria Regional Government that funded this study and from the Local Health Authority that was the prison nurses' employer. Formal consent was obtained from all the nurses who volunteered to participate in this study. Five themes emerged from the focus groups: (1) prisoners' healthcare needs, (2) negotiation between custody and care, (3) satisfaction of working in prisons, (4) obstacles to quality care and (5) safety. 'Manipulation' was a transversal theme that emerged from all the focus groups. The problems generated by the clash between prison security and nursing care priorities did not enable nurses to practice autonomously and provide the best possible to care prisoners, giving rise to ethical issues and moral distress. This in turn causes high nursing turnover rates that negatively impact continuum of care. In Italy, correctional nurses urgently require specific education interventions with the participation of all those who work in prisons. Interventions based on the post-modern concept of restorative nursing could offer prison nurses the opportunity to both resolve ethical issues and reduce moral distress.

Examining the Use of Disciplinary Segregation within and across Prisons

Prison officials have historically been afforded considerable discretion to administer sanctions designed to maintain order and security within a prison. Such discretion can generate disparate treatment of offender groups, but few studies have investigated whether sanction disparities exist within prisons, despite considerable research on sanctioning decisions made by other criminal justice actors. We use data collected from a nationally representative sample of inmates housed in state operated confinement facilities to examine potential influences of prison officials’ decisions to impose one type of sanction—disciplinary segregation. Multi-level analyses reveal that both legally relevant criteria such as prior misconduct history and extralegal factors such as age and holding a prison job affected whether an inmate was placed in disciplinary segregation for a rule violation. Also, prisons in which a greater proportion of the inmate population is involved in prison work and prisons with a higher density of inmates classified minimum-security use disciplinary segregation less frequently.

Respite and repair: how mothers of incarcerated long-term problematic drug users make prison work for them

This article considers the way a group of mothers experienced the incarceration of their problematic drug using offspring. The offspring had been imprisoned for a range of offences including theft, burglary and drug dealing with the root cause of their incarceration being connected to their long-term problematic drug use. Much of the existing literature on imprisonment identifies the separation of offenders from their family as a source of strain both for the offender and the family, with separation being one of the pains of imprisonment described in the literature. However, in contrast to this, the evidence gathered during the research that this article is based upon, highlights how the mothers of problematic drug users sought to use the periods of time their offspring were in prison as respite from their difficult and time-consuming caring responsibilities. Furthermore, the time their offspring were incarcerated was used to repair fractured relationships.

Assessment of the Personal Losses Suffered by Correctional Officers due to Burnout Syndrome.

Background:Professional burnout is defined as a state of depletion and loss of motivation accompanied by different mental and physical symptoms.Objective:To assess personal losses suffered by correctional officers due to burnout.Methods:This cross-sectional study conducted between June and December 2012 included 201 correctional officers in two Bulgarian prisons. The mean age of the whole group was 41.2 (SD 8.0) years. The respondents was mostly male (56.7%), married (72.6%), had a secondary educational level (61.7%), and 76.1% of them had been in current prison work over 5 years.Results:The demographic characteristics had no influence on the occurrence of burnout but there was a correlation between level of burnout and the number of sick-leaves, the need for medical help, and the expenses spent on medications. Officers affected by burnout took more sick-leaves and this affected adversely their remuneration as they lost 3.1% of their annual wages. Their expenses spent on user fees for medical services were 3 times higher. Their monthly expenses spent on medications were 3.14 times higher than those of people without the burnout syndrome.Conclusion:The high level of burnout has a negative personal economic effect on the prison employees.

Chronic Pain in Irish Prison Officers: Profile and Predictors of Pain-Related Disability and Depression.

International research has consistently found increased risk for physical health and psychological difficulties among prison officers including elevated risk of assault resulting in acute pain. This study represented an exploratory examination of the experience of chronic pain conditions among Irish prison officers with particular reference to the psychosocial predictors of pain severity, pain interference, and depression. A questionnaire battery was completed by 152 Irish prison officers. The questionnaires measured pain severity and interference, anxiety, depression, social support, coping strategies, and resilience. Results showed that 48% of participants reported chronic pain based on the International Association for the Study of Pain definition. Psychological distress was high among respondents reporting chronic pain, with 38% of participants meeting the criteria for "probable depression" while 51% met the criteria for "probable anxiety disorder." In regression analyses, depression emerged as a significant predictor of both pain severity and pain interference while anxiety and pain interference emerged as significant predictors of depression. Chronic pain appears to be prevalent in prison officers and is associated with both physical and psychological impairment. Health care staff in correctional facilities should be aware that these health difficulties are prevalent in the prison work environment.

Child health nurse in prison, a unique experience

A child health nurse from the mother and infant welfare protection service describes her work in prisons, with women prisoners and their children. A unique experience in which professionalism and emotion go hand in hand. Indeed, while prison is a place of detention, it can also be a place of care and support.

Working with transgendered sex offenders: prison staff experiences

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to gain insight into the experiences of staff working with transgendered sex offenders in a prison setting. Design/methodology/approach – The study utilised a qualitative approach, with semi-structured interviews used to explore the experiences of staff working with transgendered sexual offenders (n=6). Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings – Three themes were identified in the data. The first relates to how staff become educated on transgender issues and the content of this information. The second describes situations in which boundaries are overstepped by both transgender offenders and others in the prison. The third relates to the ways in which staff manage change, such as tailoring treatment to specific needs and being mindful of what adaptations may be required. Research limitations/implications – The main drawback of this research was the limited sample; female prison staff. Future research should expand this sample to encompass male staff and staff working in alternate category prisons. Practical implications – The research illustrates the utility of staff collaboration with transgendered sex offenders on transgender issues but also suggests some additional guidance is required when it comes to determining the boundaries. Staff may also benefit from more education on the possible ways in which a transgendered identity can impact on criminogenic needs. Originality/value – The present research offers insight into the current state of care and management of transgendered offenders in custody and the nature of interactions between staff and this minority group. At present, there is limited research in this area.

The Effect of Private Sector Work Opportunities in Prison on Labor Market Outcomes of the Formerly Incarcerated

This paper examines the effects of a private sector prison work program called the Prison Industry Enhancement Certification Program (PIECP) on unemployment duration, length of formal employment, and earnings of men and women released from various state prisons between 1996 and 2001. The labor market dynamics of formerly incarcerated men and women are also investigated. The program is found to increase reported earnings and formal employment on the extensive margin, with a stronger impact on the formal employment of women. There is little evidence that it increases formal employment along the intensive margin (i.e., duration of formal employment). Contrary to segmented labor market theories, superior employment (i.e., higher paying jobs) do not lead to increased job stability. Roughly 92% of those that obtain formal employment in the sample experience job loss; however, reincarceration rates are too low to explain this fact. An evaluation of labor market dynamics reveals that traditional human capital variables, criminogenic factors, and a few demographic characteristics determine job loss. In addition, black women, single women, and women with more extensive criminal histories face greater barriers on the labor market than their male counterparts.

DISCIPLINA OU RESSOCIALIZAÇÃO? RACIONALIDADES PUNITIVAS, TRABALHO PRISIONAL E POLÍTICA PENITENCIÁRIA

O objeto deste artigo é a implantação da política voltada ao trabalho prisional em regime fechado no Distrito Federal. As pesquisas realizadas indicam que, no Brasil, o trabalho prisional, especialmente no regime fechado, a despeito de sua posição central no modelo clínico reabilitador (art. 1º da LEP), ocupa pouco espaço na agenda política. As escassas iniciativas mostram a deficiente implantação das ações direcionadas à inserção do trabalho prisional no regime fechado. Essa análise inicial sugere diferentes questionamentos. Se o trabalho prisional se constitui em instrumento central do modelo idealizado na LEP, que razões explicam a escassa efetividade do comando legal? De que forma o trabalho prisional perde espaço nas práticas e rotinas dos atores que participam do processo de gestão penitenciária e execução penal? A partir de análise documental e entrevistas em profundidade, este artigo tem por objetivo analisar as representações sociais de atores sociais diretamente envolvidas na implantação e execução da política penitenciária no Distrito Federal. Pretende-se, assim, a partir dessa estratégia metodológica, adensar o conhecimento sobre as práticas do sistema prisional no Brasil.

Imagining More than Just a Prisoner: The Work of Prisonerss Penfriends

Prisoners Penfriends is a small charitable organisation that facilitates and supervises letter-­writing between prisoners and trained volunteers. In the light of current resource pressures on the prison system and a recent rise in prisoner suicides, it is timely to examine whether this befriending project may be able to contribute to the well-­being and rehabilitation of prisoners. This research project set out to gather and analyse the views of prisoners and volunteers about the work of Prisoners’ Penfriends, particularly its impact on prisoners’ well-­being and on their feelings about life after release from prison. The views were gathered through telephone interviews (volunteers) and through questionnaires (prisoners and volunteers).

The work in prison: reflections on the health of prison officers.

to understand the working conditions of prison officers and the repercutions of labor activity on their health. qualitative and descriptive research. Data were collected through open interviews with the prison officers of a regional prision and the speeches were submitted to content analysis. the results showed unsatisfactory working conditions due to poor material resources and neglect of governmental regarding rehabilitation of convicts, resulting in workers' exposure to psychosocial risks, dissatisfaction, and emotional distress. investments on the security of workers may contribute to their health promotion.

Toward a Criminology of Inmate Networks

The mid-twentieth century witnessed a surge of American prison ethnographies focused on inmate society and the social structures that guide inmate life. Ironically, this literature virtually froze in the 1980s just as the country entered a period of unprecedented prison expansion, and has only recently begun to thaw. In this manuscript, we develop a rationale for returning inmate society to the forefront of criminological inquiry, and suggest that network science provides an ideal framework for achieving this end. In so doing, we show that a network perspective extends prison ethnographies by allowing quantitative assessment of prison culture and illuminating basic characteristics of prison social structure that are essential for improving inmate safety, health, and community reentry outcomes. We conclude by demonstrating the feasibility and promise of inmate network research with findings from a recent small-scale study of a maximum-security prison work unit.

Editor's Welcome to the Inaugural Issue of the Journal of Prison Education & Reentry

Dear reader: It is with great pride we present this first issue of Journal of Prison Education and Reentry. This marks the end of an extensive period of preparations, following the recognition of a need for an independent, open access, and widely available platform for exchange of research and brilliant ideas for best practice in prison education and reentry. We greet the birth of the journal with expectations of a long and prosperous life. It is also with pride that we present this first issue of the journal on the anniversary of the Council of Europe’s adoption of the recommendations concerning prison education. This is our ultimate support for the International Day of Prison Education. Much of what happens in prison is out of the public’s view. Global social and economic events—such as massive refugee movements and the collapse of financial markets—have profound impacts on the world inside prisons. It is hard to sort out the effects these have on prison education and reentry policies and programs. Frequently, educators in prisons work in challenging situations, often having few colleagues with whom to share their experiences and who can offer support. The call for proof beyond doubt that “it works” is louder than ever, and the search for “evidence based practice” is permeating prison education. Therefore, it is necessary for researchers and practitioners to share their knowledge and experience, and to collaborate in the quest for establishing the criteria that will define “best practice”. However, it is also necessary at times to critique the standards movement itself, especially when the complexities of the systems we work within and research have conflicting purposes and missions. We sincerely hope JPER can yield a small, but significant, contribution to this work and dialogue. JPER accepts different categories of submissions. For the Research Section, we accept submissions of original research, and all submissions are subjected to a rigorous peer review process before a final decision of publication is met. For the Practitioner Section, the submissions are assessed by the Section Editor and her assistant, in addition to the Lead Editor. For the Features Section, all submissions are assessed by the Lead Editor. In this first issue of JPER, we present four original research contributions, in addition to some very important and readable discussions of practice in prison education. The first research article, written by Kariane Westrheim and Terje Manger, presents results from an interview study among prisoners originating in Iraq, but incarcerated in Norway. Analyses of educational needs and approval of qualifications among prisoners who have been educated in a different educational system is a great challenge. The paper offers insights into the education of Iraqi prisoners in Norway, but also presents a methodological approach to assessment of educational needs in atypical subsamples of learners. The second paper, written by Cormac Behan, similarly presents results of an interview study among prisoners, but his study applies a more open-ended approach, and starts by examining the motives for taking up education and continues to explore the functions of education from the perspectives of prisoners in Ireland. His conclusions are very much worth considering: prison education needs to distinguish itself from rehabilitation programmes and stand on the integrity of its profession, based on principles of pedagogy, rather than be lured into the evaluative and correctional milieu of modern penalty. We are also proud to present the first part of a two-part paper by Randall Wright, where he is using normalization theory to discuss various forces that shape prison-student identities. ‘Performative spaces’ and ‘identity closure’ are used to explore the identity work that occurs in schools and elsewhere in prisons, and how this helps to explain how education can facilitate reentry. Finally, Susan Hopkins invites a discussion on the teaching of incarcerated tertiary students in the digital age and some of the dilemmas of higher education in prisons. For the Practitioners Section, we have received a substantial number of submissions that are worth your time to read. We have themed the first issue around several papers describing aspects of establishing college programs in prisons along with an introduction by our Editor for practitioners’ papers, Anne Costelloe. We have “Fluorescent Glow” by Micol Hutchinson, who tells her story of teaching English as a second language in a

Prison reentry as a rite of passage for the formerly incarcerated

American prison systems may be shifting away from warehousing towards prisoner rehabilitation. California’s corrections policy, for example, has changed dramatically in response to a variety of pressures budgetary, operational and judicial. What might such changes mean for prisoner rehabilitation and the chances of formerly incarcerated persons leading meaningful, contributing lives? This is an exploratory essay on the possibility of a formerly incarcerated person finding himself through prison work. My primary concern is with understanding and utilizing current shifts in correctional philosophies and practices to create healing alternatives and a more inclusive justice, one with room for my own healing. I pursue this inquiry through the use of an autoethnographic approach to legal storytelling.