Applying an Indigenous and gender-based lens to the exploration of public health and human rights implications of COVID-19 in Canadian correctional facilities

Exploring the impacts of COVID-19 on Alberta correctional workers

COVID-19 and the subsequent public health responses disrupted the routines and lives of people globally. The impact was felt by correctional workers who navigated rapidly changing public health policies and many disruptions to operations within both institutional and community correctional services. In the current study, we unpack qualitative findings emerging from an online mental health and well-being survey, during COVID-19, of 571 correctional workers employed in the Canadian province of Alberta. Results emphasize how correctional work was strained by the on-set of the COVID-19 pandemic, creating other risks and vulnerabilities for both staff and incarcerated people. Respondents highlighted impacts to their workload, routine, personal and institutional security, relationships with colleagues and incarcerated people, and their competing perspectives on the enforcement and ethics of ensuing public health measures intended to contain the spread of the virus. We discuss the empirical implications of these findings and areas for future research post pandemic.

"It's Pure Chaos Every Day": COVID-19 and the work of Canadian federal institutional parole officers

As the Canadian federal correctional system grappled with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, institutional parole officers, who play a central role in prisoners' case management team, remained essential service providers. Working in uncertain circumstances, these correctional workers navigated new and rapidly changing protocols and risks, while attempting to continue to provide support to those on their caseloads. Based on semi-structured interviews with 96 institutional parole officers, conducted after Canada's "first wave" of COVID-19 infections, we analyze three ways in which their work was impacted by the pandemic: shifting workloads, routines, and responsibilities; increased workloads due to decarceration (i.e., efforts to reduce the number of incarcerated individuals); and the navigation of new forms of risk and uncertainty. This study advances the understanding of stress and risk in probation and parole work and presents recommendations to ameliorate the occupational stresses experienced by correctional workers during and beyond COVID-19.

Scoping review of mental health in prisons through the COVID-19 pandemic

OBJECTIVE

To examine the extent, nature and quality of literature on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of imprisoned people and prison staff.

DESIGN

Scoping review.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Global Health, Cochrane, PsycINFO, PsychExtra, Web of Science and Scopus were searched for any paper from 2019 onwards that focused on the mental health impact of COVID-19 on imprisoned people and prison staff. A grey literature search focused on international and government sources and professional bodies representing healthcare, public health and prison staff was also performed. We also performed hand searching of the reference lists of included studies.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF STUDIES

All papers, regardless of study design, were included if they examined the mental health of imprisoned people or prison staff specifically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Imprisoned people could be of any age and from any countries. All languages were included. Two independent reviewers quality assessed appropriate papers.

RESULTS

Of 647 articles found, 83 were eligible for inclusion, the majority (58%) of which were opinion pieces. The articles focused on the challenges to prisoner mental health. Fear of COVID-19, the impact of isolation, discontinuation of prison visits and reduced mental health services were all likely to have an adverse effect on the mental well-being of imprisoned people. The limited research and poor quality of articles included mean that the findings are not conclusive. However, they suggest a significant adverse impact on the mental health and well-being of those who live and work in prisons.

CONCLUSIONS

It is key to address the mental health impacts of the pandemic on people who live and work in prisons. These findings are discussed in terms of implications for getting the balance between infection control imperatives and the fundamental human rights of prison populations.