Working in a prison: Challenges, rewards, and the impact on mental health and well-being

Abstract

Purpose Prisons are uniquely challenging working environments. Staff are often exposed to direct and indirect trauma, impacting negatively on their mental well-being. Due to the limited research into prison staff experience, this paper aims to explore what staff find most challenging, how they cope, what support they would like and rewarding aspects of their work. Design/methodology/approach This service development project was facilitated through a staff well-being event. A qualitative approach was used and 74 staff members provided anonymised responses. An inductive and data-driven approach was used to analyse the data, and the trustworthiness of the analysis was considered using criteria established by Lincoln and Guba (1985). Findings Thematic analysis identified six themes, namely, the challenging nature of the work, interactions with prisoners, staff interactions, inadequate resources, staff support and development and coping strategies. Key findings include managing distress, self-harm and violence and limited resources presenting challenges. Role variety and opportunities to support prisoners were reported as positive. A variety of coping strategies were identified. Wider availability of supervision and reflective practice was suggested by staff. Practical implications Recommendations for increased staff support are made. Suggestions for future research investigating methods to increase rewarding aspects of work within prisons are given. Originality/value This analysis adds to the limited body of qualitative research investigating prison staff experiences; in particular, aspects of the work that they find rewarding such as the role variety and opportunities to make positive changes to prisoners’ lives. Novel coping strategies were identified, including cognitive reframing and behavioural strategies for managing stress, which could be encouraged to increase resilience.

The mental health of staff working in UK prisons during the Covid‐19 pandemic

“…One of the major limitations in interpreting our results is that we do not have pre‐lockdown or pre‐Covid‐19 baseline assessments to look at the trajectory of mental health outcomes in prison staff over time. It is known from the literature, that there are numerous other variables in correctional settings (such as prisoner self‐harm or suicide attempts) that can be directly or indirectly traumatising for staff (Dennard et al., 2021; Lerman, Harney & Sadin, 2021; Page & Robertson, 2021). Research has also shown that a positive organisational climate and good communication is associated with improved mental well‐being (Kyprianides et al., 2021).…”

“…Other studies included in this review highlighted interpersonal stressors, such as lack of social support from managers and co‐workers and lack of communication between management and staff as among the most stressful features of frontline correctional work. In addition, prison officers regularly experience direct and indirect trauma (Dennard et al., 2021). Persistent exposure to indirect trauma (such as prisoner self‐harm or suicide attempts) can have serious negative consequences on prison staff (Page & Robertson, 2021).…”

Ward Staff as a Tool to Promote Wellbeing among Prison Employees

“…If stabilization-a condition of balance among the members-is not reached, the team may experience disorganization-a general lack of balance and chaos. Such a condition could be a prerequisite for the development of syndromes such as burnout, which has been associated with working in a challenging prison environment [6].…”

“…Despite the challenging nature of the task, in the prison environment, there is a limited or sporadic offering of potentially useful support systems such as regular supervision or reflective practice [6]. Prison workers reported needing a space to discuss their role and reflect on difficult situations with their colleagues [7].…”

Locked Up and Locked Down: How the Covid-19 Pandemic has Impacted the Mental Health of Male Prisoners and Support Staff

“…The prison environment presents additional challenges and is known to have a detrimental effect on mental wellbeing [17][18][19][20][21], while funding cuts and over-crowding contribute to an increasingly negative experience [21,22]. Physical and mental health outcomes for staff who work in prisons are also poor due to the challenging work, unpleasant environment, and experience of direct and vicarious trauma, which may make staff a vulnerable population too [23][24][25][26][27].…”