Health & Safety Considerations Health & Safety Considerations in in Working with Offenders Working with Offenders Dr. Craig Jackson Dr. Craig Jackson Prof. Occupational Health Psychology Prof. Occupational Health Psychology Head of Psychology Head of Psychology Birmingham City University Birmingham City University School of Social Sciences School of Social Sciences Faculty of Education, Law & Social Sciences Faculty of Education, Law & Social Sciences
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Health & Safety Considerations in Working with Offenders Dr. Craig Jackson
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 Presentation
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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
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
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"
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
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.