health & safety considerations in working with offenders dr. craig jackson
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Health & Safety Considerations in Working with Offenders Dr. Craig Jackson Prof. Occupational Health Psychology Head of Psychology Birmingham City University. School of Social Sciences Faculty of Education, Law & Social Sciences. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Health & Safety Considerations Health & Safety Considerations inin
Working with OffendersWorking with Offenders
Dr. Craig JacksonDr. Craig JacksonProf. Occupational Health PsychologyProf. Occupational Health Psychology
Head of PsychologyHead of PsychologyBirmingham City UniversityBirmingham City University
School of Social SciencesSchool of Social SciencesFaculty of Education, Law & Social SciencesFaculty of Education, Law & Social Sciences
Prisons within HM Prison Service are one of the most unique environments in existence
Prisons are unlike any other legislated workplace
Primary aim is to protect the public and keep prisoners in a secure, decent and humane environment
Contradiction of locked Contradiction of locked doors doors
Offenders & those working with themHard to preserve H&S perfectlyMany types of offenderDifficultBoth secure and non-secure settings Many types of sentenceOffender work: physical & psychological effects
Complexities of Prison Complexities of Prison H&SH&S
Prisons Act (1865)Prisons Act (1865)
Hard bed, board and labourHard bed, board and labour
Pointless labour as Pointless labour as punishmentpunishment
Gladstone Committee 1895Gladstone Committee 1895Prisoners should leave as better people
Punitive labour replaced with learning a trade
Prisoners allowed to earn a wage
"Own clothes" & haircuts allowed
Shaved heads phased out
Better visiting facilities
Education and libraries in all prisons
Incentives and earned privilege schemes
Care vs. CustodyCare vs. CustodyContribute to safe & secure custody
Prepare reports in a timely manner
Comply with audit requirements
Follow procedures for prisoner applications
Apply authorised control and restraint
Encourage prisoners in offending behaviour treatment progs
Uphold respect for prisoners' rights, dignity and property
Act as personal office for groups of prisoners
Prison LawyerCommunicatorCounsellor (various)TeacherManagerSecurity expertHistorianHealth and Safety Advisor
Modern Prison Modern Prison OfficersOfficers
Emotional demands
Low supervisory support
Role conflict
High "client" contact
Exposure to violence & threats
Unpleasant work
Overcrowding (61%)
Restructuring (2010)
Psychosocial Psychosocial Environment Environment
Mediating factors for
high sickness absence
160 in England and Wales 11"private prisons"
Maximum securityTraining establishmentsSatellite camps
86,000 prisoners
Offenders wishing to commit violence to others and officers make total prevention impossible
Thankless task with little acknowledgement
Prisons and Prisons and YOIsYOIs
Many workers will have contact with offenders
A. Custodial servicesB. Offender management or rehabC. Workplace experience
Variety of Variety of SentencingSentencing
Attend SchoolCommunity payback (40-300 hrs)Completion of job trainingComplete a treatment programme (anger, drugs)Avoid activities (pubs, football)Curfew (electronic tag)Residence sentence (specified, approved premises)Receive mental health treatmentSupervision sentenceAttendance training (18-24 yrs)
"Community" "Community" Sentencing Sentencing
Jackson Jackson 20112011
"It is important that the It is important that the prisoner is correctly assessed prisoner is correctly assessed and passed fit only for work and passed fit only for work
which is within his mental and which is within his mental and physical capacity. We have physical capacity. We have
to . . . ensure that no prisoner to . . . ensure that no prisoner suffers injury through being suffers injury through being
ordered to do unsuitable ordered to do unsuitable work."work." HK Snell 1953HK Snell 1953
Working Prisons are not Working Prisons are not new new
Work in prison is part of rehabilitation, not the punishment
Suitability for work assessed upon reception
Workshops & activity units
WorWorkk
TextilesPrintingEngineeringData entryWoodworkAssemblyDesktop publishingCADCateringCleaningBuilding
WorkiWorkingng
Two Wood Workshops
HSE Improvement notices in 2002 & 2003
1) Lack of COSHH assessment for wood dust
2) Use of Workplace Equipment Regs (1998)
West Mids Probation West Mids Probation ServiceService
Notices complied with
Improvements made
Society willing to accept unsatisfactory level of H&S for offenders
Work is NOT the punishment
Work-related illness is NOT the punishment
Post English Riots vengefulness
Social Undesirability Social Undesirability BiasBias
2001; 20,000 staff; 42 area boards
Few Health & Safety risk assessments of workOnly ad hoc inspectionsHealth & Safety training minimalFew areas with trained / competent staff or FAsFew Health & Safety committees No H&S guidance for supervision of offenders
Health & Safety Concerns: Health & Safety Concerns: NPSNPS
HSE Home Office case study 2005
N 1038 HMP staff London region Managers, Officer grades, Admin
Domains of HSE Mgt Stds linked to Wellbeing (OR)
Demands (3.2)Control (3.3)Support (manager (3.5) then peer (3.7)Relationships (3.7)Role (4.2)Change (3.0)
Stress in HMP Stress in HMP "London""London"
Bevan et al 2010
Stress in HMP Stress in HMP "London""London"
Bevan et al 2010
Item on HSE toolItem on HSE tool ORORJob role uncertainty 9.8Knowing how to get job done 6.8Emotional support 6.5Too much to do 6.2Unrealistic time pressures 6.2Different demands placed on me 6.0College respect 5.7Clear about departmental objectives 5.7
1% of gen. pop. have PD
50% - 75% prisoners have PD diagnosis
Current concern for public services
Vicarious Trauma in some therapists & officers
Personality Personality DisordersDisorders
Medium Secure unit for offendersStaff concerns from...
"Desire for more meaningful contact""Contradictory attitude to openness""Feeling physically safe / emotionally vulnerable""Ambivalence to structure and control""Emphasis on staff relationships"
Personality Disorder Personality Disorder ConcernsConcerns
Kurtz & Turner 2007
Working with sex offenders
Intrusive thoughtsAvoidance behavioursHyper-vigilance
Highest levels reported in secure settings
Not related to treatment type, caseload, or previous trauma
Vicarious Vicarious TraumaTrauma
Moulden & Firestone 2007
Vicarious Vicarious TraumaTrauma
Proactive "Talking Proactive "Talking Therapies"Therapies"Health effects of high profile murder investigationsHealth effects of high profile murder investigations
Soham murders:Soham murders:SIO Chris StevensonSIO Chris Stevenson
James Bulger murder:James Bulger murder:SIO Albert KirkbySIO Albert Kirkby
Ipswich ripper murders:Ipswich ripper murders:SIO Roy LambertSIO Roy Lambert
Cromwell Street murders:Cromwell Street murders:SIO John BennettSIO John Bennett
Team of 47 detectivesTeam of 47 detectives
Proactive "Stress Counselling”Proactive "Stress Counselling”
Some accepted – others did notSome accepted – others did not
Upon retirement . . .Upon retirement . . .
Severe FatigueSevere FatigueNOT Chronic FatigueNOT Chronic FatigueSyndromeSyndrome
Inability to function Inability to function physically & mentallyphysically & mentally
3% prevalence across working population3% prevalence across working population
"Burnout" - severe fatigue response to chronic stress"Burnout" - severe fatigue response to chronic stress
Occurs more in psychologically "vulnerable" Occurs more in psychologically "vulnerable" staff . . staff . . . . . . . Working in conditions they find stressful.. . . . . Working in conditions they find stressful.
Unusual Tribunal CasesUnusual Tribunal Cases
Tail-Wagg-Dog AtmosphereTail-Wagg-Dog Atmosphere
RevengeUnintentionalDelusionErotic pleasurePyromania-fetishInstitutionalised Crime concealmentExcitement
Fire Fire startingstarting
Lewis & Yarnell 1951; Incardi 1970; Prins 1985; Rix 1994
Attention-seekingMental disorderPoliticalTerrorismSelf-immolation Attempted suicideFinancialVandalism
FireFire
FireFire
11 deaths from cell fires in the 1980s 3 deaths in 1990s 5 deaths in 2000s
121% increase in assaults on female prison officers since 2000
From 232 assaults to 513
58% increase in attacks on male officers
From 1,767 in 2000 to 2,804 in 2006
ViolenViolencece
ViolenViolencece
24 prisoner deaths in the prison estate of England & Wales in January 2012
Most natural causes
11 of these were suicidal deaths
Many more attempted it but were not successful
SuicidSuicidee
Suicide-prevention training for prison officers
"Arming" officers with cutting tools at all times
Fostering an attitude of duty of care in the officers
Prisons are suicidogenic environments
Isolation, stress, & bleakness create a suicide-space
Prisoners listeners of limited value
Samaritans phones in HMP Woodhill broken
Suicide-Prevention is Suicide-Prevention is ineffectiveineffective
RIASEC Model
"Conventional""Conventional" OrganiserOrganiser
"Investigative""Investigative" ThinkerThinker
"Enterprising""Enterprising" PersuaderPersuader
"Artistic”"Artistic”CreatorCreator
HollandHolland 1997 1997
Relates to both Relates to both PERSONALITYPERSONALITY and and ENVIRONMENTENVIRONMENT
"Social""Social" HelperHelper
"Realistic""Realistic"DoerDoer
"Realistics"
Practical individualsPractical individuals
ConformistConformist
OrderedOrdered
Prefer objects and toolsPrefer objects and tools
Not keen on concepts or abstracts Not keen on concepts or abstracts
Heuristics-drivenHeuristics-driven
Mechanic, Labourer, Driver Mechanic, Labourer, Driver
RIASEC Model HollandHolland 1997 1997
Relates to both Relates to both PERSONALITYPERSONALITY and and ENVIRONMENTENVIRONMENT
"Conventional""Conventional" OrganiserOrganiser
"Investigative""Investigative" ThinkerThinker
"Enterprising""Enterprising" PersuaderPersuader
"Artistic”"Artistic”CreatorCreator
"Social""Social" HelperHelper
"Realistic""Realistic"DoerDoer
ideasideas
datadata
peoplepeople
thingsthings
Prediger's dimensionsPrediger's dimensions
SummarSummary y Prisons have gone through many dramatic shifts, and will continue to do so
Prison officers subjected to usual job stressors, AND unique issues caused by the nature of work
Health and well being adversely affected by the work and change
Psychosocial thinking & mapping for future officers in selection and training