Article 12: Traditionalist Subculture and Staff Cynicism in Prison Reform

https://doi.org/10.65264/SMVW7587

Correctional reforms frequently stall or eventually falter, becoming superficial additions disconnected from daily operations. This article addresses this gap by examining how correctional traditionalism—characterized by risk aversion and a custodial identity—and frontline staff cynicism obstruct institutional change. Moving beyond simple diagnoses of resistance, this paper analyzes the dynamic process of how reform is adapted, sustained, or diluted within real-world settings. Drawing on a 2019 to 2025 qualitative study of the Scandinavian Prison Project at SCI-Chester, Pennsylvania, which includes 164 interviews with 94 staff members, the study integrates implementation science with correctional research to examine the friction between evidence-informed mandates and entrenched subcultural norms. It explores how staff view humanistic engagement as a safety hazard and how deep-seated hyper-vigilance functions as a defensive survival mechanism. This paper forwards practical recommendations for correctional practitioners to streamline administrative solutions that overcome subcultural resistance and staff cynicism toward cascaded changes in carceral operations, ensuring meaningful outcomes for correctional professionals and justice-involved individuals.

Keywords: Corrections; Institutional Change; Carceral Practice; Corrections Officers; Traditionalism