“We shouldn't encourage drug use”: Unpacking correctional officer opposition and support of the Prison Needle Exchange Program
Background: The Prison Needle Exchange Program (PNEP) is a harm reduction initiative which involves providing people who are incarcerated (PWAI) with sterile injection equipment to avoid harms associated with unsterilized needle use, such as the spread of infectious diseases. While current evidence...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Social Sciences and Humanities Open |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291123003418 |
| _version_ | 1797374107692564480 |
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| author | Cindy Whitten Rosemary Ricciardelli Matthew S. Johnston |
| author_facet | Cindy Whitten Rosemary Ricciardelli Matthew S. Johnston |
| author_sort | Cindy Whitten |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: The Prison Needle Exchange Program (PNEP) is a harm reduction initiative which involves providing people who are incarcerated (PWAI) with sterile injection equipment to avoid harms associated with unsterilized needle use, such as the spread of infectious diseases. While current evidence strongly supports the implementation and monitoring of PNEP, the program's success requires institutional support along with staff and prisoner commitment. Methods: The current study draws on interview data to examine policies surrounding PNEP and correctional officers’ (COs) (n = 134) perceptions and attitudes toward PNEP. Results: The COs in our sample were strongly in opposition to PNEP, with only a handful supporting PNEP. Emergent themes underpinning their opposition related to a sense of injustice and an inherent tension between introducing needles into the prison versus how they understand their occupational role and responsibilities. Conclusion: We conclude with a discussion of policy recommendations aimed at implementing PNEP collaboratively with staff to ensure the benefits of harm reduction are fostered and realized. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T19:01:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b08dd071cfa6421b95f8184700c7e434 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2590-2911 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T19:01:06Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Social Sciences and Humanities Open |
| spelling | doaj.art-b08dd071cfa6421b95f8184700c7e4342023-12-28T05:19:42ZengElsevierSocial Sciences and Humanities Open2590-29112023-01-0181100736“We shouldn't encourage drug use”: Unpacking correctional officer opposition and support of the Prison Needle Exchange ProgramCindy Whitten0Rosemary Ricciardelli1Matthew S. Johnston2Memorial University of Newfoundland, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Sociology, 230 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada; Eastern Health, Department of Research and Innovation, St. John's, NL, Canada; Corresponding author. Memorial University of Newfoundland, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Sociology, 230 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada.Memorial University of Newfoundland, Marine Institute, Fisheries and Marine Institute, 155 Ridge Road, St John's, NL, A1C 5R3, CanadaMemorial University of Newfoundland, Marine Institute, Fisheries and Marine Institute, 155 Ridge Road, St John's, NL, A1C 5R3, CanadaBackground: The Prison Needle Exchange Program (PNEP) is a harm reduction initiative which involves providing people who are incarcerated (PWAI) with sterile injection equipment to avoid harms associated with unsterilized needle use, such as the spread of infectious diseases. While current evidence strongly supports the implementation and monitoring of PNEP, the program's success requires institutional support along with staff and prisoner commitment. Methods: The current study draws on interview data to examine policies surrounding PNEP and correctional officers’ (COs) (n = 134) perceptions and attitudes toward PNEP. Results: The COs in our sample were strongly in opposition to PNEP, with only a handful supporting PNEP. Emergent themes underpinning their opposition related to a sense of injustice and an inherent tension between introducing needles into the prison versus how they understand their occupational role and responsibilities. Conclusion: We conclude with a discussion of policy recommendations aimed at implementing PNEP collaboratively with staff to ensure the benefits of harm reduction are fostered and realized.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291123003418Prison needle exchangeHarm reductionRehabilitationPolicyCorrectional officers |
| spellingShingle | Cindy Whitten Rosemary Ricciardelli Matthew S. Johnston “We shouldn't encourage drug use”: Unpacking correctional officer opposition and support of the Prison Needle Exchange Program Social Sciences and Humanities Open Prison needle exchange Harm reduction Rehabilitation Policy Correctional officers |
| title | “We shouldn't encourage drug use”: Unpacking correctional officer opposition and support of the Prison Needle Exchange Program |
| title_full | “We shouldn't encourage drug use”: Unpacking correctional officer opposition and support of the Prison Needle Exchange Program |
| title_fullStr | “We shouldn't encourage drug use”: Unpacking correctional officer opposition and support of the Prison Needle Exchange Program |
| title_full_unstemmed | “We shouldn't encourage drug use”: Unpacking correctional officer opposition and support of the Prison Needle Exchange Program |
| title_short | “We shouldn't encourage drug use”: Unpacking correctional officer opposition and support of the Prison Needle Exchange Program |
| title_sort | we shouldn t encourage drug use unpacking correctional officer opposition and support of the prison needle exchange program |
| topic | Prison needle exchange Harm reduction Rehabilitation Policy Correctional officers |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291123003418 |
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