A penologist studies prisons and inmates to assess the system’s effects on rehabilitation and behavior patterns. They evaluate programs and follow released prisoners to determine success rates. A successful penologist has excellent communication skills and a degree in administration of justice, psychology, or criminal justice.
A penologist studies prisons, jails, or other communities of incarceration. She works in these settings and interacts extensively with prisoners and inmates to assess the system’s effects on their rehabilitation and analyze their behavior patterns. Their findings and recommendations are typically discussed with a broad spectrum of prison officials, including guards, corrections officers and wardens. Discussions are also common with parole officers, criminologists, and parole officers.
Penology is a division of criminology that focuses on prison management, the various types of punishment and retribution used by different societies, and how effective they are. A penologist carefully examines these methods and their effects. It judges success and failure rates based on prisoners’ attitudes, behavior and recidivism.
Their evaluations typically involve interviewing prisoners, studying current methods and programs, and measuring their success. She also often observes relationships between individual prisoners, as well as individual interactions with prison authority figures. Prison staff are routinely asked to contribute to established systems and encouraged to offer suggestions for change.
In addition to studying prisoners, a penologist often investigates rehabilitation and self-help programs. It determines whether programs have been successful and recommends updates and changes based on its findings. Educational programs are also included in its scope of investigation.
A penologist regularly follows the lives of released prisoners to determine whether the education and rehabilitation programs they underwent while incarcerated genuinely helped them in the outside world. Prisoners and ex-prisoners are regularly asked to anonymously rate the quality of programs offered by the institution, as well as to comment on parole procedures. A penologist uses this information to prepare their reports for external assessment or management agencies focused on prison reform efforts.
If her analyzes and recommendations are well received by prison authorities, she may be asked to prepare reports and proposals that clearly define her plans for improvement. This might include suggestions for redesigning personal development courses or implementing anger management or drug counseling programs. Proposals for changes in policies, changes in physical environments, and adjustments in staff communication techniques can also be included in the penologist’s propositions.
A successful penologist will typically be curious and have excellent communication skills. She may be required to talk to prisoners, guards and administrators on the same day, so the ability to interact with many different personality types is important. Tearing down volatile situations and dealing with adversity are preferred traits – prisoners and administrators may be hesitant to consider changes proposed by an outsider.
A career as a penologist requires a bachelor’s degree in administration of justice, psychology, or criminal justice. Penology courses are often offered as part of these undergraduate curricula. Opportunities for penologists vary by location and are highly dependent on budgetary allowances for individual institutions.
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