In this article, we analyze the experience and concerns of Canadian federal correctional officers (COs) regarding their work environment. Drawing on prison geography, and recognizing the importance of the links between architecture, physical layout and the lived experience of space, we investigated the effect of light (or the lack of it) on CAs' work environment and well-being. The participants reported in this article (n = 60) were recruited as part of a large longitudinal study (Ricciardelli et al., 2021). After noting that limited access to natural light is often justified by safety considerations, we first analyzed the impact of this absence of natural light on the work experience and on the health and well-being of CAs. We then looked at alternative measures for addressing safety issues through the use of excessive light sources. These two aspects point to the existence of a lighting problem specific to the prison environment. Although access to natural light is strictly controlled, light is, by its very nature, a particularly difficult aspect to regulate in the prison environment. The results of this study highlight the problems associated with the diffusion of light in the prison environment, and underscore the perverse effects of the prison environment on conditions of care. The article concludes with recommendations on how to improve light conditions for both CAs and prisoners.
This nineteenth episode interviews James Gacek.
Read the article on Érudit: https://doi.org/10.7202/1107598ar
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