Prison Staff Health and Wellbeing

Call for Papers

Prison Staff Health and Wellbeing

JOURNAL NAME: International Journal of Prison Health

PUBLISHER: Emerald Publishing

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 31 July 2026

ABOUT THIS SPECIAL ISSUE

This special issue will advance understanding of the health and wellbeing of prison staff — a group often overlooked in criminological and occupational health research. It seeks to foreground the diverse physical, mental, and social health challenges faced by correctional workers across different international and institutional contexts, and not just a focus on prison officers alone.

The issue will highlight how structural, cultural, and interpersonal dynamics within prison environments shape staff wellbeing and contribute to burnout, resilience, and occupational identity. By bringing together empirical, theoretical, and practice-based contributions, the issue will offer critical insights into how prison staff health is managed, neglected, or supported.

There is a growing body of scholarly attention on prison officers and their work. Reports and research from many jurisdictions highlight a disturbing trend — correctional officers face escalating physical, mental, and cultural health burdens far exceeding those of other public-sector workers. Yet, more insight is required into how others working in correctional spaces experience their health.

This special issue addresses critical societal challenges related to workplace health, institutional resilience, and human rights within carceral systems. It responds to urgent concerns about workforce sustainability, organisational culture, and the broader societal impacts of prison system failure — including increased violence, high turnover, and diminished rehabilitative capacity.

The edition includes interdisciplinary research spanning public health, criminology, sociology, psychology, and organisational studies, showcasing both qualitative and quantitative approaches — with the aim of supporting evidence-informed policies and interventions toward promoting safer, healthier prison workplaces for all staff.

SCOPE & THEME AREAS

We invite submissions addressing (but not limited to) the following themes:

1. Public health in prison — Examining broader public health dynamics within carceral environments and their effect on staff populations.

2. Staff health and wellbeing — Empirical and theoretical explorations of the physical, mental, and social health of correctional workers across varied roles and jurisdictions.

3. Occupational health and mental wellbeing — Investigating stress, burnout, trauma exposure, and mental health outcomes among prison staff.

4. Organisational culture and institutional support — How workplace culture, management practices, and institutional structures shape staff wellbeing and professional identity.

5. Health interventions and best practice models — Evaluations of programmes, policies, and interventions designed to promote staff health and resilience in correctional settings.

6. Global and comparative perspectives — Cross-national and cross-jurisdictional analyses of how different systems address or neglect prison staff health.

7. Theoretical and methodological innovation — New frameworks, approaches, and methods for researching correctional worker health and occupational experience.

GUEST EDITORS

Prof. Rosemary Ricciardelli ✉️ Contact via journal submission system

James Bloomfield ✉️ Contact via journal submission system

Dr. Steve O'Rawe ✉️ Contact via journal submission system

Dr. Matthew Maycock ✉️ Contact via journal submission system

KEY DEADLINES & DATES

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

How to submit: Manuscripts must be submitted via ScholarOne Manuscripts, strictly following the journal's author guidelines.

Selecting the special issue: At the appropriate submission step, authors must select the special issue title from the drop-down menu in response to "Please select the issue you are submitting to."

Eligibility: Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication elsewhere while under review.

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