Also Serving Time

Book excerpt: Also Serving Time informs readers about the realities of provincial and territorial prison work in Canada. Exploring the nuances of the job, Rosemary Ricciardelli shows how officer orientations and attitudes toward prisoners are interconnected and foundational in shaping their prison experiences as well as that of those in custody and in managerial and administrative positions. Drawing on interviews with 100 correctional officers from a range of provincial prisons and with experience working in territorial prisons, Ricciardelli provides theoretical and applied explorations of officer orientations, interpretations, and risk propensity to show how perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs--both at the individual and structural levels--shape prison practices. Also Serving Time unpacks how gender informs the actions and self-presentation of correctional officers and informs readers about the officers' experiences when working with male and female adult prison populations. Ricciardelli confirms that tasks of daily living underpinned by pervasive risk potential shape prison work. Through the officer accounts presented, she provides an opportunity for readers to explore how punishment and 'rehabilitation', gender, and the hierarchical structure of prison management shape officers' daily realities.