RT Article
T1 The Floating Signifier of ‘Safety’: correctional Officer Perspectives on COVID-19 Restrictions, Legitimacy and Prison Order
JF The British journal of criminology
VO 63
IS 5
SP 1237
OP 1254
A1 Schultz, William J.
A2 Ricciardelli, Rose 1979-
LA English
YR 2023
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1869015452
AB 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.
NO Literaturverzeichnis: Seite 1252-1254
K1 Covid-19
K1 Prisons
K1 Correctional Officers
K1 Legitimacy
K1 Decision-making
DO 10.1093/bjc/azac088