Prior to introducing the content, we would like to draw readers’ attention to The Bennett Award for Outstanding Article 2022. Congratulations to this year’s winner, Rachel Tynan, for her article Living in the present, imagining a future: Children and young people navigating the mandatory life sentence which appeared in our general edition 261.
Our first article focuses on young people in custody. A number of countries, including England and Wales, have made efforts to reduce the number of incarcerated children and young people. Hesam Esfahani and Carole C. Tranchant examine the impact of the Youth Criminal Justice Act (2003) in Canada, and reflect on the increased use of alternatives to detention and the complex issues experienced by those who are placed within custody. They discuss how the provision for young people in custody, and the staff working with them, needs to account for the complexity of these issues and ensure that it is adequately resourced to meet these needs.
Maulin Pauli, Sofia Bermås, Jenny Liljeberg and Katarina Howner explore the feasibility of using staff ratings as a triage procedure to screen for psychopathic traits utilising the Comprehensive Assessment of Psychopathic Personality Staff Rating Form (CAPP — SRF) within a high security correctional facility in Sweden. They found the CAPP-SRF to be weakly associated with other more commonly used measures, and ratings did not accurately capture the symptoms of psychopathy at any level. The findings suggest that more time consuming and resource intensive approaches should continue to be used.
We then have two articles with a focus on wellbeing. First, HMPPS staff Kate Netten and Rachel Gibson present a synthesis of the evidence base on prisoner wellbeing. While a range of factors impact on prisoner wellbeing, the evidence presented suggests that there are many parallels between what is important for prisoner wellbeing and the general wellbeing literature. They also present evidence for a number of prison-specific factors that impact on the wellbeing of prisoners, given the unique demands of living within a prison environment. We then hear from Kelsey Engstrom and Esther van Ginneken, who introduce the term ‘ethical prison architecture’, and discuss how the essential design features of this concept impact on the wellbeing of those who live, work, and visit them. The authors identify 16 prison design features from the literature which are linked with wellbeing. It is interesting to note some similarities between these design features and the ‘build’ way to wellbeing presented within the previous article.
Four articles then explore issues relating to the recruitment, training, professional development, and experiences of staff working within prisons. In the first of these articles, Kaigan Carrie explores attitudes towards training and development, including what the key training areas for prison officers are, focusing on the experiences of staff within the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) and Norway. Staff employed within Scotland saw their role as primarily focused on safety and security, despite the SPS’ aim to maximise staff’s role in reducing re-offending. Many of the participants felt that more training in rehabilitation was needed, along with adopting a training model similar to that employed within Norway, to enable SPS to professionalise the role and work towards achieving its goals.
Rhianon Williams, Carmen-Valeria Baisa, Inês de Castro, Ângela Fernandes, Autun Purser, Alexander Vollbach and Daiana Huber then present an overview of the literature and the results from an online survey across five European countries exploring how professional development of prison staff supports modern prison culture, recruitment, and retention. Results suggest that professional development efforts should place greater focus and emphasis on rehabilitation, along with ensuring that training adequately prepares prison staff for the challenges of their role. The central role that supportive managers can play in providing career guidance is emphasised, and the authors suggest that better training and support is needed for managers.
Rosemary Ricciardelli, Marcella Siqueira Cassiano, Dale C. Spencer and Ayla Zehtab Jadid explore the recruitment experiences of correctional officers employed within the Correctional Service Canada. Participants described priorities which included the need to ensure that recruits are old enough to take on the role, were personally suitable, and physically suitable. It is encouraging to note that participants were positive about the inclusivity, diversity, and equality of who was recruited.
Lastly, Joanna Binley describes the experiences of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among ex-prison officers employed in English, Welsh, Northern Irish, and Scottish prisons. Her overview of the literature provides a strong case for the need to better understand the prevalence of PTSD among prison staff, and her results suggest that staff feel under-supported. Other themes identified include the importance of a diagnosis, the impact of the culture within prisons, and the impact that PTSD symptomology can have.
We have four book reviews in this edition, the goal of which is to provide an independent and honest review of recent works which will be of interest to readers. In the first of these, Lewis Simpson reviews Alexander Paterson: Prison Reformer by Harry Potter. This book explores the life and work of Paterson, who made a lasting contribution to prison reform. Lewis describes this as a central text for anyone wanting to understand the work of Paterson, which will hold great interest to those interested in the history of imprisonment. Next, Martin Kettle reviews Minority Ethnic Prisoners and the Covid-19 Lockdown — Issues, Impacts and Implications by Avril Brandon and Gavin Dingwell. The authors provide a concise overview of their research conducted during the pandemic, and Martin suggests that the summary of the general impacts of the pandemic within the book are valuable, along with the arguments regarding the differential impact of Covid-19 on the specific minority groups explored. Lynn Saunders reviews Prisoners’ Families, Emotions and Space by Maria Adams. This book is based on research conducted in three Scottish prisons by the author as part of their PhD. It provides an opportunity to understand the first-hand experiences of family members, with a particular focus upon the experience of visiting and how they deal with the impact of a family member being imprisoned. Lynn suggests that this book will be of particular interest to prison managers and policy makers when designing visiting areas and services. Finally, Ray Taylor reviews What we fear most: Reflections on a life in Forensic Psychiatry by Ben Cave. This personal and reflective account of a career in psychiatry focuses on the connections and relationships that Cave developed with his patients. Ray describes this as a highly readable and accessible account of the life and career of Cave, which will be of interest to a range of readers.
This edition offers a range of articles and book reviews. The Prison Service Journal continues to offer opportunities for practitioners and academics to share and engage with readers, with the aim of stimulating reflection, debate, and discussion regarding the realities of penal practice and reform.
