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44 J. Crime & Just. 1 (2021)

handle is hein.journals/jlcmadjc44 and id is 1 raw text is: JOURNAL OF CRIME AND JUSTICE R otledae 2021, VOL. 44, NO. 1, 1-15 https://doi.org/10.1080/0735648X.2020.1759444 Taylor&Francis Group Care, custody, control, and the preservation oflife: the complexity of correctional officer work Rosemary Ricciardellig, Keltie Pratt' and Maia Idzikowskic aDepartment of Sociology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada; 'Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada; `Department of Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Canada ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY Correctional officers are tasked with and committed to preserving life, yet Received 28 December 2019 deaths do occur in custody. Moreover, it is said deaths that receive public Accepted 15 April 2020 attention and media coverage. In the current article, we examine the KEYWORDS complexities around the preservation of life as experienced during correc- Correctional officers; suicide; tional work. We focus on the discrepancies between public and media media; public perceptions; interpretations of correctional work and the occupational experiences of prisoners; well-being; care correctional officers, including the relationships that develop between staff and prisoners. Drawing from semi-structured interviews with 43 Canadian correctional officers with experience working in provincial or territorial prisons, we thematically analyze their narratives of responding to prisoner death by suicide, either attempted, completed, or both, as well as self-harming behaviours. Results highlight the discrepancies between the role and responsibilities of correctional officers versus how the public perceives their occupational work. We evidence that most staff do care about those in custody, thus balancing preservation of life, care, custody, and control, while keeping themselves, their colleagues, and the public safe creates a complex space for officers. Internationally, most modern prisons are geographically isolated from society, reflecting the adage, 'out of sight and out of mind' (Pratt 2013; Ricciardelli 2014). In consequence, civilians are often disconnected from institutional correctional services and thus, understandably, have little knowl- edge of what occurs within prisons, the interworking of correctional facilities, and the occupational nuances experienced by prison staff. For example, prison is commonly thought to be punitive (Cecil 2017; Coyle 2005; Liebling, Arnold, and Straub 2011), though in many countries this is not the case. Additionally, most citizens have never been incarcerated and those who have been incarcerated or know people who have been often keep their experiences private. Thus, many people are unin- formed about correctional systems and lack the more intimate knowledge acquired when visiting or inhabiting a prison. It is not just the rules, regulations, policies, and procedures shaping such environments that people are unaware of, but also the institutional mandates, the formal and informal structures in place, and the roles and responsibilities of prison staff - including their role in the preservation of life. In the current article, we aim to provide context for recognizing that prisons can be spaces with hope and opportunity (Liebling et al. 2019; Stearns, Yang, and Boudreaux 2018). Many of the people who choose to work in prisons are invested in the safety and security of the prisoners, the institution, their colleagues, and themselves (Philliber 1987; Ricciardelli 2019; Roberts 2007). Many correctional CONTACT Rosemary Ricciardelli § rricciardell@mun.ca © 2020 Midwestern Criminal Justice Association

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