Abstract

This chapter is based on the author's own reflections of prison life and prison staff. It is split into four core themes: the positive and negative impact that members of staff can have on inmates; the brutalising effects of imprisonment and how these can affect everyone who steps behind the prison walls; the imbalance of power that exists between staff members and the prisoner and how that can impact on the relationships they experience; and lastly, how the power relationships between prisoner and prison staff can shape the nature of the prison environment.