We need a (new) hero: Reimagining the meaning of prison work

• In Event: Roundtable: Changing Staff Culture in Corrections: Practical Realities and Evaluation Challenges

Abstract

The heroes we celebrate, the stories we tell, and the rites we observe are powerful conduits of organizational culture. Theorists maintain that these markers of culture provide a window into the ways that members of organizations make sense of problems and shared experiences. Our stories also communicate and socially construct the values and beliefs that comprise a culture. What is being communicated by the organizational stories we tell about prisons and prison work? Join us to explore ideas for how we can reimagine the meaning of prison, tell a different story, and find a new hero that represents the values that animate a new era of correctional reform.

Author

• Jody Sundt, Indiana University Indianapolis