Work, Culture, and Wellbeing Among Prison Governors in England and Wales

This book offers an important insight into the health and wellbeing of prison operational managers and governor grades working within the prison service in England and Wales. This is particularly important because prisons are not ordinary places of work, with staff exposed to substantial and sustained daily pressures. The authors bring together expertise from criminology, health, law, and psychology, to present a unique multidisciplinary examination of health and wellbeing based on interviews with 63 members of the Prison Governors Association. Examining how the participants described their health and wellbeing, the authors reveal a prison working environment which is made up of three core factors: power, culture, and relationships, with factors such as Covid-19 acting as disruptors to this environment. The meaning that is placed on a person’s experiences largely determines whether they see these as positive or negative and thus whether they impact positively or negatively on their overall health and wellbeing. For some this has led to workplace disenchantment and a desire to leave the service. The book ends by introducing a new conceptual model of workplace wellbeing, which offers a significant and original contribution by identifying a person-centred approach to workplace wellbeing within the unique occupational context of prison.