The Floating Signifier of ‘Safety’: correctional Officer Perspectives on COVID-19 Restrictions, Legitimacy and Prison Order

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect prisons internationally. Existing research focuses on infection data, meaning we do not fully understand how COVID-19 shapes frontline prison dynamics. We draw on qualitative interviews with 21 Canadian federal correctional officers, exploring how the pandem...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Schultz, William J. (Author) ; Ricciardelli, Rose 1979- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2023
In: The British journal of criminology
Year: 2023, Volume: 63, Issue: 5, Pages: 1237-1254
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
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Keywords:
Covid-19
Prisons
Correctional Officers
Legitimacy
Decision-making
Description
Summary:The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect prisons internationally. Existing research focuses on infection data, meaning we do not fully understand how COVID-19 shapes frontline prison dynamics. We draw on qualitative interviews with 21 Canadian federal correctional officers, exploring how the pandemic impacted prison management. Officers suggested inconsistent messaging around COVID-19 protocols reduced institutional and officers’ self-legitimacy, fracturing trust relationships with incarcerated people. Furthermore, officers suggest that personal protective equipment such as gowns and face shields took on multiple meanings. We use Lévi-Strauss’ floating signifier concept to analyse how individual definitions of ‘safety’ informed day-to-day prison routines. We conclude by arguing that legitimacy deficits and contested definitions of ‘safety’ will continue to create uncertainty, impacting prison operations going forward.
Item Description:Literaturverzeichnis: Seite 1252-1254
ISSN:1464-3529
DOI:10.1093/bjc/azac088