CCWORK Protocol: A Longitudinal Study of Canadian Correctional Workers' Well-being, Organizations, Roles and Knowledge

Authors

• Rosemary Ricciardelli, Memorial University of Newfoundland
• Elizabeth Andres, Memorial University of Newfoundland
• Meghan M. Mitchell, University of Central Florida
• Bastien Quirion, University of Ottawa
• Diane Groll, Queen’s University
• Michael Adorjan, University of Calgary
• Marcella Siqueira Cassiano, Memorial University of Newfoundland
• James Shewmake, Memorial University of Newfoundland
• Martine Herzog-Evans, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne
• Dominique Moran, University of Birmingham
• Dale C. Spencer, Carleton University
• Christine Genest, University of Montreal
• Stephen Czarnuch, Memorial University of Newfoundland
• James Gacek, University of Regina
• Cramm Heidi, Queen’s University
• Katharina Maier, The University of Winnipeg
• Jo Phoenix, The Open University
• Michael Weinrath, The University of Winnipeg
• Joy MacDermid, University of Western Ontario
• Margaret McKinnon, McMaster University
• Stacy Haynes, Mississippi State University
• Helen Arnold, University of East Anglia
• Jennifer Turner, Carl von Ossietzky Universitat Oldenburg
• Anna Eriksson, Monash University
• Alexandra Heber, Veterans Affairs Canada
• Gregory Anderson, Thompson Rivers University
• Renee MacPhee, Wilfrid Laurier University
• Nicholas Carleton, University of Regina

ORCID

Ricciardelli: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0905-8968; Haynes: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1408-9291

MSU Affiliation

College of Arts and Sciences; Department of Sociology

Creation Date

2026-06-01

Abstract

Introduction Knowledge about the factors that contribute to the correctional officer's (CO) mental health and well-being, or best practices for improving the mental health and well-being of COs, have been hampered by the dearth of rigorous longitudinal studies. In the current protocol, we share the approach used in the Canadian Correctional Workers' Well-being, Organizations, Roles and Knowledge study (CCWORK), designed to investigate several determinants of health and well-being among COs working in Canada's federal prison system. Methods and analysis CCWORK is a multiyear longitudinal cohort design (2018-2023, with a 5-year renewal) to study 500 COs working in 43 Canadian federal prisons. We use quantitative and qualitative data collection instruments (ie, surveys, interviews and clinical assessments) to assess participants' mental health, correctional work experiences, correctional training experiences, views and perceptions of prison and prisoners, and career aspirations. Our baseline instruments comprise two surveys, one interview and a clinical assessment, which we administer when participants are still recruits in training. Our follow-up instruments refer to a survey, an interview and a clinical assessment, which are conducted yearly when participants have become COs, that is, in annual a € waves'. Ethics and dissemination CCWORK has received approval from the Research Ethics Board of the Memorial University of Newfoundland (File No. 20190481). Participation is voluntary, and we will keep all responses confidential. We will disseminate our research findings through presentations, meetings and publications (e.g., journal articles and reports). Among CCWORK's expected scientific contributions, we highlight a detailed view of the operational, organizational and environmental stressors impacting CO mental health and well-being, and recommendations to prison administrators for improving CO well-being.

Publication Date

12-8-2021

Publication Title

BMJ Open

Publisher

BMJ Publishing Group

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

Recommended Citation

Ricciardelli R, Andres E, Mitchell MM, et al CCWORK protocol: a longitudinal study of Canadian Correctional Workers’ Well-being, Organizations, Roles and Knowledge BMJ Open 2021;11:e052739. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-052739