Culture and Climate in Prisons and Jails

Culture and climate are at the forefront of many discussions in prisons/jails, in research domains, and among the general public. These issues are also at the forefront of the research study behind this podcast. The four articles we present in this podcast cover some of the key ideas or talking points that contextualize these conversations in current research. Drawing on published scholarly work, we will weave our discussions around four areas: 1) the barriers to correctional staff help-seeking; 2) why some correctional officers get into this occupation; 3) the relationship between turnover intent and job stress/involvement, and 4) the moral and social climate of prisons.

Download the one-pager (PDF).

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Auty, K. M., & Liebling, A. (2020). Exploring the relationship between prison social climate and reoffending. Justice Quarterly, 37(2), 358–381.

Burton, A. L., Jonson, C. L., Petrich, D. M., & Miller, W. T. (2023). Nefarious and disconcerting motivations for choosing a correctional officer position: A deviant case analysis. Criminal Justice and Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1177/00938548231187415

Lambert, E. G., Solinas-Saunders, M., Haynes, S. H., May, D. C., Keena, L. D., Leone, M., & Buckner, Z. (2023). The association of organizational justice views and turnover intent among correctional staff. Criminal Justice Studies, 1–22.

Wills, C., Bates, K., Frost, N. A., & Monteiro, C. E. (2021). Barriers to help-seeking among correction officers: Examining the influence of institutional culture and structure. Criminal Justice Studies, 34(4), 423–440.

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This project was supported by Grant [5PBJA-22-AG-00031-MUMU] awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this podcast are those of the host and the research team and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.