Violence at work in prison establishments: a preliminary study
| Pages | 250-259 |
| Published date | 05 December 2016 |
| Date | 05 December 2016 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JCRPP-10-2015-0050 |
| Author | Christopher Muzavazi |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Criminology & forensic psychology |
Violence at work in prison establishments:
a preliminary study
Christopher Muzavazi
Christopher Muzavazi is a
Labour Researcher based in
Liverpool, UK.
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to present a preliminary study exploring the perception of prison
officers in England and Wales regarding violence in their workplace.
Design/methodology/approach –Data were gathered through questionnaires administered to 152of Her
Majesty’s Prison establishments throughout England and Wales, ranging from high secure to open prisons
where officers are affiliated to the Prison Officers Association. In total, 45 officers responded, seven from
women’s prisons and the remainder from male adult and youth prisons. In addition, descriptive data from the
Ministry of Justice statistical data set on incidents of violence are incorporated where possible.
Findings –Results indicated that violence, both prisoner on staff and prisoner-to-prisoner, is a major
concern among prison officers, across all prison categories. The prison officers who took part considered
there to be an absence of what they perceived to be serious measures to prevent and manage violence.
Officers view the prison disciplinary system as ineffective, with reluctance for external charges to be
considered against prisoners committing acts of violence within the prison.
Research limitations/implications –The research is limited by a lack of external measures being obtained
(e.g. observation of aggressive incidents) and the fact that the participants were self-selecting, with only a
small proportion of respondents. However, it suggests a need for more detailed research into prison violence,
one that integrates the views of prison staff as well as prisoners, with the former lacking in the research base
to date. It also indicates a need for more focussed action from management, staff representatives and reform
lobbies to explore collectively how to prevent violence in prison. Only by adopting a multidisciplinary and
multifaceted approach can a comprehensive attempt at management be achieved.
Practical implications –Prison violencehas a negative impact on correctional settingsand their mission to
provide a safe working environment for staff and safe environment for prisoners. Consequently, a focussed
managementapproach on the problemis required, one that capturesthe view of a range of staffand prisoners.
Prisoner’sviolent conduct,whether assault on staffor peers, constitutes furthercriminal conduct.This has to be
addressed through formal processes such as prison reports, police charges and potential prosecution. The
latter has been under-applied. Determiningthe barriers to pursuing police charges and possible prosecution
would be valuable to pursue. Violence against staff needs to be more thoroughly understood and not
considered solelyas an occupational hazard, but as a means of safe-guarding both staff and prisoners.
Originality/value –This study is the first that has sought to incorporate prison workforce perception on the
problem of escalating levels of prison violence, using a sample from a wide set of prison environments.
Keywords Justice, Management, Victims, Risk, Crime prevention and reduction, Courts, Custody
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Violence in prisons throughout England and Wales has presented a persistent problem for over a
decade (Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales, 2011/2012; Ministry of
Justice, 2013). Edgar et al. (2012) have described prisons as dangerous environments, where
assaults, threats, theft and verbal abuse are pervasive, and is a recognised problem in other
countries (Levan, 2012).
Received 20 October 2015
Revised 31 December 2015
29 February 2016
Accepted 1 March 2016
PAGE250
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JOURNAL OF CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCH, POLICY AND PRACTICE
j
VOL. 2 NO. 4 2016, pp.250-259, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 2056-3841 DOI 10.1108/JCRPP-10-2015-0050
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