We're in the Trenches While He Sits in an Office: Administrative Neglect in Prisons and Jails

• In Event: Living and Working Inside U.S. Prisons & Jails

Abstract

Front-line employees need administrative support to feel committed to their workplace and implement policies (Kong & Belkin, 2022). Administrative neglect undermines the functioning of the institution and oftentimes results in employee turnover. This is especially true in bureaucratic organizations where front-line staff depend on the guidance of administrators. Prisons and jails are examples of highly bureaucratic organizations. Here, administrative neglect impacts staff, which in turn impacts their ability to provide a secure and therapeutic environment for the incarcerated population. However, there is a major gap in the existing literature on the supervision needs of prison/jail staff (Forsyth et al., 2022). To address this gap, we interviewed 145 staff and 448 incarcerated people working and living in eight prisons and three jails across six U.S. states. Findings indicate that staff often feel neglected by administration, which incarcerated people note impacts staff’s ability to do their jobs. We use a felt neglect organizational framework to understand these experiences. This contextualizes the negative effects of administrative neglect, which may impact the functioning of the institution and the well-being of the incarcerated population. It may also help to explain the recruitment and retention crisis that is currently plaguing U.S. prisons and jails.

Authors

• Bryce Kushmerick-McCune, Sam Houston State University

• Danielle S. Rudes, Sam Houston State University