Correctional officer health and evaluation of a culture change program targeted to officers

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

Abstract

Objectives. To assess the feasibility and short-term effectiveness of a culture change training program for correctional officers. Methods. As part of an international exchange program with the Norwegian Correctional Service, we delivered a 10-hour training to 73 correctional officers across 5 state prisons in the U.S. A pre-training questionnaire assessed health, work experiences, and attitudes, and a post-training evaluation assessed the training’s acceptability and effectiveness. Results. Many participants had chronic disease (e.g. hypertension, 45%; diabetes, 21%), mental health problems (e.g., anxiety, 67%; depression, 41%; PTSD, 31%), and exposure to violence (9.6 incidents in 6 months). Participants rated the statements “this program will lead to change” at 4.7 (1=strongly disagree, 5=strongly agree) and “learning from Norway can help my work” at 4.5; and having gained significant knowledge about how to change correctional culture. Overall, 39% rated the training “life-changing” the remainder rated it as outstanding. Conclusions. A correctional culture change training program for officers drawing on policies and practices from a model international prison system has the potential to advance U.S. penal reform while addressing the worsening epidemic of poor health among correctional staff.

Author

• Brie Williams, University of California, San Francisco