Integrated Safety and Health Promotion among Correctional Workers and People Incarcerated: A Scoping Review

Olivia J. Hull, Olivia D. Breckler and Lisa A. Jaegers ()
Additional contact information
Olivia J. Hull: Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program, Johnson & Wales University, Providence, RI 02903, USA
Olivia D. Breckler: Department of Occupational Therapy, Findlay University, Findlay, OH 45840, USA
Lisa A. Jaegers: Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 12, 1-19

Abstract: Improving safety and health for correctional workers and people who are incarcerated are widespread yet separate initiatives. Correctional workers and people who are incarcerated experience similar challenges involved with poor workplaces and living conditions, including mental health crises, violence, stress, and chronic health issues, and the available resources lack integration with respect to safety and health promotion. This scoping review sought to contribute to an integrated approach for correctional system safety and health resources and identify studies of correctional resources that address health promotion among correctional workers and people who are incarcerated. Guided by PRISMA, a search of gray literature, also termed peer-reviewed literature, published between 2013–2023 ( n = 2545) was completed, and 16 articles were identified. Resources primarily targeted individual and interpersonal levels. At every level of intervention, resources improved the environment for both workers and those incarcerated, with trends of less conflict, more positive behaviors, and improved relations, access to care, and feelings of safety. The corrections environment is impacted by changes from both workers and people who are incarcerated and should be examined using a holistic approach. Future health and safety resources should target the larger correctional environment by utilizing practices, policies, and procedures to improve safety and health for incarcerated people and workers.

Keywords: total worker health; incarceration; recidivism; antisocial behavior; prosocial behavior; corrections; work environment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/12/6104/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/12/6104/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:12:p:6104-:d:1168950

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().