Journal article
A comparative perspective on officer wellness: american reflections from norwegian prisons
Criminal justice studies, v 34(4), pp 477-497
02 Oct 2021
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
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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Details
- Title
- A comparative perspective on officer wellness: american reflections from norwegian prisons
- Creators
- Veronica L. Horowitz - University at Buffalo, State University of New YorkEmily R. Greberman - University of PennsylvaniaPatrick E. Nolan - University of MinnesotaJordan M. Hyatt - Drexel UniversityChris Uggen - University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesSynøve N. Andersen - University of OsloSteven L. Chanenson - Villanova University
- Publication Details
- Criminal justice studies, v 34(4), pp 477-497
- Publisher
- Routledge
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Criminology and Justice Studies
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000722036400001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85119887509
- Other Identifier
- 991019168515404721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Criminology & Penology
- Operations Research & Management Science