Behind Closed Walls: The Social Isolation and Power Dynamics of Italian Prison Officers

• In Event: PWG - Power, identity, and abuse among prison staff

Abstract

In Italy, prison officers are a civilian police force within the four national law enforcement agencies under government control. Unlike other agencies, most of their work occurs within prisons, often away from public view. This isolation can lead to limited public awareness and distorted perceptions of their role. Additionally, working primarily within the prison walls fosters a strong esprit de corps and professional culture, which, without external oversight, can sometimes result in arbitrariness, abuse, and violence toward imprisoned people. This contribution reflects on these topics based on two ethnographic studies conducted through participant observation and interviews in four Northern Italy prisons.
This paper aims to explore some dimensions of the professional culture of prison officers and its impact on everyday prison life. In particular, the sense of social isolation felt by prison officers will be considered, along with the frustrations generated by a job that often comes to resemble mere control with little gratification over a detained population perceived as hostile to them. Their sense of inferiority to other Italian police forces will be taken into consideration together with the attempts made by some officers to counter this condition which, however, sometimes ends up fuelling further frustrations. Finally, we will observe how these factors have significant repercussions on everyday life within prison. They contribute to shaping their specific professional culture, which ultimately views the prison as a dangerous and unpredictable place that threatens their personal safety, while also being the only place where they can assert their power and seek (precarious) legitimacy. These factors shape the attitudes and practices of prison officers, particularly towards prisoners. Such practices can create inequalities based on class and race, impacting on whether detainees accept their subordinate position without questioning officers' authority.

Authors

• Alessandro Maculan, University of Padua

• Luca Sterchele, Università degli Studi di Torino