‘Hammering on the pressure’: Prison governor well‐being and the need for a more humanised approach

Abstract

The challenges of prison work and the impact on the well-being of prison officers is widely publicised. However, less is known about the well-being of prison governors, and what may impact this: the focus of this research. Semi-structured interviews (n = 63) with prison governors across England, Scotland and Wales, analysed using thematic analysis, indicated core themes around poor well-being, limited work-life balance and feelings of disenchantment. The well-being climate was underpinned by challenges within the occupational culture including the relentless workloads, a so-called ‘macho culture’, competing expectations, a dissonance between responsibility and autonomy, and a lack of role understanding between staff within prisons and those working from HM Prison and Probation Service headquarters. The challenges were exacerbated, but not caused, by Covid-19 and a lack of perceived value among staff, but mitigated to a degree by individual coping and some access to governor-specific support. Implications and future directions are discussed.