Becoming a Prison Officer, through the lens of Bourdieu's field theory

• In Event: Prison Working Group: Understanding prison officers: Roles, composition, and attitudes toward detained persons

Abstract

In Belgian prisons, efforts are underway to redefine the role of prison personnel. Through role differentiation, the responsibilities of the prison officer are separated into the job of safety assistant and detention supervisor. This development is put into practice by, amongst other things, changes in the recruitment and training of newcomers. In this presentation, I focus on the onboarding of new prison officers into an organisation undergoing change. How can we understand the socialisation process when the organisational conditions are in flux? How can newcomers develop a feel for the game while the rules of said game are being rewritten?

This presentation offers a case study using Bourdieusian insights (such as those related to habitus and hysteresis) to grasp the complex nature of socialisation processes in a dynamic environment. I do so by using an interdisciplinary perspective informed by the extensive body of literature integrating Bourdieu into managerial, organisational, and criminological studies.

Author

• Emilie Gossye, Vrije Universiteit Brussel