“It has given us an opportunity to reinvent ourselves”: exploring a Novel Intervention to Recalibrate the Professional Identities of Prison Staff

Prison staff experience physical and mental health conditions at rates exceeding those in the general population. These adverse health outcomes, alongside poor job satisfaction and burnout, contribute to high rates of absenteeism, turnover, and vacancies among carceral workforces. Yet little is known about how to reduce the occupational strains of prison work. This mixed-methods study describes an intervention, the “Contact Mentor Program,” which adapts the role of Norwegian prison officers to a U.S. prison setting, and trains and inspires prison staff to serve as supportive mentors to assigned incarcerated individuals. Drawing on questionnaire data from staff ( n = 52) and semi-structured interviews ( n = 21), the study compares the experiences of contact mentors to non-mentors and explores the program’s impact on professional identity, job satisfaction, and well-being. Participants reported improved autonomy, organizational support, and purpose. Findings suggest this model may be a promising approach to reducing stress among correctional staff.