What About Those Who Live Here? Centering the Voices of Those Who Live and Work in Corrections

• In Event: Policy-Implications of DLC Research 2: The Life-Course Consequences of Criminal Justice Policy

Abstract

This study examines prison culture and climate with particular attention to correctional staff, whose experiences are central yet often marginalized in policy discussions. While reform efforts frequently target incarcerated populations, far less attention is given to how institutional conditions shape staff well-being, decision-making, and interactions, ultimately influencing the broader correctional environment. Using a mixed-methods design, the study integrates institutional climate surveys with qualitative interviews and focus groups conducted with correctional staff. Findings reveal that correctional staff consistently report high levels of stress, role conflict, and organizational strain, all of which undermine safety, communication, and institutional trust. While recent program innovations can support more constructive staff–resident interactions and improve perceptions of respect, these benefits are constrained by chronic staffing shortages, limited training, and insufficient policy support. The results underscore the need for correctional policy that prioritizes staff well-being as a central component of prison reform. Efforts to improve institutional climate must move beyond isolated programming to include investments in staffing, training, and organizational support, while elevating the voices of those who live and work within correctional facilities. Without meaningful attention to correctional workers, sustainable improvements in prison culture are unlikely.

Author

• Beth Huebner, Arizona State University