Jordan M Hyatt

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.

Prison cells and their carceral design provide a perspective on the prevailing ideological and pragmatic goals within correctional systems, especially with regard to the needs and rights of those incarcerated. Elements of the cell can therefore form a foundation for comparative analyses of correctional philosophy. This chapter explores the distinct penal ideologies of Norway and the United States, as represented by Pennsylvania, through the lens of cells in a newly constructed prison in each jurisdiction. A consideration of the constituent elements and use of prison cells highlights the official focus on utilitarian punishment goals like reintegration and “normality” through environmental-based rehabilitation in the Norwegian context, and in Pennsylvania, the primacy of efficiency and other non-utilitarian correctional goals. Ultimately, these cells reflect their respective society’s correctional priorities at the time they were built.

The chapter considers the ethical problems engendered by random assignment and privacy concerns in randomised controlled experiments and cluster randomised trials. The particular focus is on procedural, legislative and technical approaches to reducing or avoiding the problems. Examples are given from a variety of disciplines including health and education, though the main emphasis is on research in crime and delinquency.