Environment of Prison Staff as a Source of Threats – Selected Aspects

Abstract

Prison Service is a specific paramilitary dispositional group. The special nature of the service results from its subjectivity, which is the community of people forcibly isolated from the rest of society, due to acts committed in social space. Therefore, prison staff is exposed to a wide variety of occupational hazards. The purpose of the article is to present the specificity of the prison service and work environment, taking into account those selected factors that can negatively affect the quality and effectiveness of work performed, as well as pose a threat to both staff and prisoners. The first part of the article characterises Prison Service as a specific dispositional group. Then, professional and ethical requirements imposed on prison staff are presented. The main part of the article characterises selected occupational hazards related to the work environment, such as biological, physical and ergonomic hazards, psychosocial risks and threats resulting from the organisation and culture of the service. It is followed by a summary as well as conclusions and recommendations. The article is theoretical and the basis for its development was the available literature on the subject of prison service in both theoretical and practical dimensions.