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The PolPen-XXII study is the first survey on prison police personnel conducted in Liguria, Piedmont, and Valle d’Aosta, and the second in Italy, following the PolPen-XXI survey. 

With the goal of expanding research on prison police, a subject that is underexplored in Italy, the study aimed to assess the perceptions of correctional officers regarding the following aspects: their work experience, including dynamic surveillance, professional orientation, the quality of their relationships in the workplace, institutional legitimacy, the emotional experiences of officers, the management of critical incidents, attitudes toward the use of force, and the COVID-19 emergency.

Analyzing the perspective of prison police officers is important not only to foster public discussion on the penitentiary system itself but also to improve working conditions for the staff.

The survey collected opinions from 505 prison staff in the three regions studied, highlighting interesting insights into the relationships between staff and both superiors and the incarcerated population. It also revealed a strong critique of the adoption of dynamic surveillance. The study further identified a sense of pride in the officers’ work, and responses provided valuable perspectives on the use of force and management of critical incidents. In particular, the study identified topics that urgently require further attention, both in terms of training and professional reflection.

The research was led by Prof. Roberto Cornelli and the Department of Law at the University of Milan-Bicocca, in collaboration with the Regional Office of the Prison Administration for Piedmont, Liguria, and Valle d’Aosta in Lombardy, and was carried out by Chiara Chisari, Roberto Cornelli, Alessandra Sacino, and Laura Squillace.