Prison officers and esprit de corps. Ingroup and outgroup relationships in prison

Abstract

This paper presents a qualitative study exploring the concept of esprit de corps in prison officers (POs), through the interpretative lens of Social Identity Theory. The study relies on semi-structured interviews conducted with 26 POs working in Italian correctional facilities. Thematic analyses on the resulting data enabled us to identify POs’ esprit de corps as a complex and multidimensional construct that influences both their social identification with their professional group and their interpersonal relationships with members of their ingroup and outgroup. Findings from this study suggest that POs’ esprit de corps is a fundamental component of day-to-day prison life, taking effect on the symbolic and relational levels, fostering loyalty and cohesion among ingroup members, and contrast with members of the outgroup. We conclude that examining esprit de corps as a construct can give an important contribution to our criminological and sociological knowledge.