Prison staff wrongdoing:an exploratory study

Frow-Jones, Bronwen 2024. Prison staff wrongdoing:an exploratory study. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

Prisons are a fertile environment for staff wrongdoing to thrive. Wrongdoing includes a wide range of behaviours, from criminal acts to violations of the professional standards set by the Prison Service. All share the potential to undermine safety and security. Little academic research has been conducted on this important subject globally and none in the United Kingdom. This thesis addresses the knowledge gap by identifying those behaviours staff perceive as wrongdoing, the factors which increase vulnerability to wrongdoing and the barriers to reporting it. This exploratory mixed methods study collected data from a survey and semistructured interviews with staff from two Category B male local prisons, combining both deductive and inductive approaches. The convergent parallel design enabled findings to be triangulated through the use of different sources, methods and data. The survey findings show a positive correlation between perceived seriousness of wrongdoing and willingness to report. The resultant typology evidences a common understanding of the hierarchy of wrongdoing. The findings reveal a workforce which feels undervalued by managers as well as wider society and identifies individual, organisational and societal factors which influence propensity to wrongdoing. Fear of retaliation from other staff and a belief that nothing would be done were found to be significant barriers to reporting wrongdoing. This thesis refutes the notion that staff wrongdoing is due solely to individuals who actively pursue money making opportunities. Instead I identify three types of staff offender who have different motivations and vulnerabilities: the predatory offender, the disillusioned offender and the unintentional offender. I argue that the Prison Service’s conception of staff wrongdoing fails to consider that it requires a holistic approach. I conclude with seven policy recommendations to improve future practice. These recommendations include the need to promote ethical leadership and to increase staff awareness that wrongdoing is a continuum which needs to be addressed at all levels.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Schools > Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	10 March 2025
Last Modified:	10 Mar 2025 15:58
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/176744

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