Correctional Officer Training Programs: How do they Impact the Body?

How the body is used within strenuous pre-work or training conditions and regimen is physically, mentally, and socially challenging. In this study, we analyze interview data to examine how Canada’s federal correctional officer recruits (CORs; n = 31) and correctional officers (COs; n = 25) with at least one year of occupational tenure embodied their experiences of the Correctional Training Program (CTP). First, recognizing the lacuna in knowledge around impacts on the body from correctional officer training, we interpret the dominant body discourses and effects on COR and CO stress and wellness. Second, understanding how bodies uniquely experience the program, we discuss how training programs influence how CORs interpret, discipline, and/or alter their body to mold into the “proper” CO. Findings suggest training enlists the body, creates expectations, and prepares the body for on-the-job training and their future role as a CO. We conclude with recommendations for training and applied practice.