Journal
CRIMINAL JUSTICE STUDIES
Volume 34, Issue 4, Pages 477-497Publisher
ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
DOI: 10.1080/1478601X.2021.2001231
Keywords
Correctional officers; correctional officer wellness; dynamic security; Norway; stress; morale
Funding
- Arnold Ventures
- Norwegian Research Council for Criminology (NSfK)
- Scandinavian-American Foundation
- Drexel University
- Norwegian Correctional Service
- Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
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Correctional officers in the United States face severe work-related stress, and they have begun to look at alternative international models such as Scandinavian prison systems for ways to reform their workplaces. The experience in Norway has shown a decrease in stress levels and more positive interactions for American correctional officers.
Correctional officers in the United States experience severe work-related stressors and are generally physically unwell compared to similar public employees. An innovative and new approach to improving American corrections that is starting to gain momentum stems from looking at the workplace dynamic in alternative international models, such as in Scandinavian prison systems, for models of workplace reform. This study examines the perspectives of staff and leaders from the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections who traveled to Scandinavia as part of a correctional exchange. Each day of the trip, correctional staff recorded their qualitative reflections and completed a basic survey about their observations and experiences. This article examines both forms of data to explore correctional officer wellness from the perspective of American correctional officers. Five key themes are discussed: morale, stress, danger, dynamic security, and communication. Survey results corroborate this pattern, as US correctional officers reported somewhat lower stress and more positive interactions during their time in Norway. Key takeaways and implications for policy are discussed.
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