Prisoners’ Perceptions of Prison Officers as Sources of Support

Social‐cognitive determinants of help‐seeking for mental health problems among prison inmates

“…Australian inmates were unlikely to approach their case officer for emotional concerns, including thoughts of self-harm (Hobbs and Dear, 2000), yet would approach prison staff for assistance with practical problems such as unit placement. Medical staff, case officers, unit managers and other prison staff were all identified as influences (subjective norm) on the help-seeking process.…”

Prisoners’ perceptions of correctional officers’ behavior in English and Dutch prisons

“…Generally, having sufficient and satisfactory social support is associated with less psychological distress, like anxiety and depression (Cohen & Wills, 1985;Sarason & Sarason, 1985). Thus, social support appears to protect individuals from the negative consequences of stressful life events (Harvey, 2007;Hobbs & Dear, 2000). Translated to the prison environment, a correctional officer may provide either emotional support because he/she listens to a prisoner's concerns, or he/she may provide practical help, for instance, by providing information about the rules or helping out with application forms.…”

The Influence of Prison Staff on Inmate Conditions: A Multilevel Approach to Staff and Inmate Surveys

“…Sykes 1958). Several scholars refer to the importance of prison staff when achieving goals like safety, humane treatment and re-integration of inmates (Arnold et al 2008;Bilby 2008;Birgden 2004;Bottoms 1999;Hobbs and Dear 2000;Liebling 2000;Lindquist and Lindquist 1997;Peterson-Badali and Koegl 2002;Tewksbury and Mustaine 2008). Garland (1990) even argues that 'operatives' of the penal system (e.g.…”