Worker and inmate safety and conditions
Concerns over the conditions of life and work in private prisons also render them an issue of great contention.
One proposed benefit of private prisons is better relationships between workers and inmates. It is argued that private prison staff are organized in a more “flexible” way, meaning having less levels to the bureaucracy of the system, and that their staff are characterized by more “youthful enthusiasm” (Crewe, Liebling, & Hulley, 2011, p. 192-193). But these same positives can be exposed to be quite dangerous for all those involved. Flexibility can also be seen as the thinning out of management structures, leaving people without anyone to be held liable to or for. “Youthful enthusiasm” can be …show more content…
One study looked at public and private prisons across England to compare friendlier staff and inmate relationships with less friendly and more hierarchal ones to see the effects of staff power on work and living conditions (Crewe et al., 2011). In comparing various clusters of prisons, it was established more linear relationships could be found in private prisons, and more hierarchal ones in public prisons (Crewe et al., 2011). However, this proved to cause more frustration than good, as inmates expressed less confidence in environments where authority was not asserted, finding them to be “easy to manipulate, intimidate or ignore” (Crewe et al., 2011, p. 104). Such a lack of respect and faith in staff can be dangerous for both workers and inmates when it comes to enforcing rules and maintaining order, as well as reducing the efficiency of private prisons when it comes to trying to get things done. This danger is compounded by inmates actually wanting “staff to deploy their power to protect them from themselves as well as from other prisoners” as well as aid in making “important life decisions, and [they] often felt that this could not be provided by young, inexperienced staff” (Crewe et al., 2011, p. 105). A lack of structure leaves inmates without the ability to regulate their behavior or stay safe. These are factors that, along with being unable to communicate with staff, leave them without proper rehabilitative tools as should be provided by prisons to help them keep from
Concerns over the conditions of life and work in private prisons also render them an issue of great contention.
One proposed benefit of private prisons is better relationships between workers and inmates. It is argued that private prison staff are organized in a more “flexible” way, meaning having less levels to the bureaucracy of the system, and that their staff are characterized by more “youthful enthusiasm” (Crewe, Liebling, & Hulley, 2011, p. 192-193). But these same positives can be exposed to be quite dangerous for all those involved. Flexibility can also be seen as the thinning out of management structures, leaving people without anyone to be held liable to or for. “Youthful enthusiasm” can be …show more content…
One study looked at public and private prisons across England to compare friendlier staff and inmate relationships with less friendly and more hierarchal ones to see the effects of staff power on work and living conditions (Crewe et al., 2011). In comparing various clusters of prisons, it was established more linear relationships could be found in private prisons, and more hierarchal ones in public prisons (Crewe et al., 2011). However, this proved to cause more frustration than good, as inmates expressed less confidence in environments where authority was not asserted, finding them to be “easy to manipulate, intimidate or ignore” (Crewe et al., 2011, p. 104). Such a lack of respect and faith in staff can be dangerous for both workers and inmates when it comes to enforcing rules and maintaining order, as well as reducing the efficiency of private prisons when it comes to trying to get things done. This danger is compounded by inmates actually wanting “staff to deploy their power to protect them from themselves as well as from other prisoners” as well as aid in making “important life decisions, and [they] often felt that this could not be provided by young, inexperienced staff” (Crewe et al., 2011, p. 105). A lack of structure leaves inmates without the ability to regulate their behavior or stay safe. These are factors that, along with being unable to communicate with staff, leave them without proper rehabilitative tools as should be provided by prisons to help them keep from