A penologist is a person who studies prisons, jails, and other places where people are imprisoned. She works in these settings and has extensive interactions with prisoners and inmates in order to assess the system’s impact on their rehabilitation and analyze their behavior patterns. Normally, her findings and recommendations are discussed with a wide range of prison personnel, including prison guards, corrections officers, and wardens. Probation officers, criminologists, and parole officers are frequently involved in discussions.
Penology is a branch of criminology that studies prison administration, as well as the various types of punishment and retribution used by various societies and their effectiveness. A criminologist examines these methods and their outcomes with great care. Based on prisoner attitudes, behavior, and recidivism, she assesses their success and failure rates.
Her evaluations usually entail interviewing inmates, researching current methods and programs, and assessing their effectiveness. She frequently observes individual prisoner relationships as well as individual interactions with prison authority figures. Employees at prisons are frequently polled about existing systems and encouraged to make suggestions for improvement.
A penologist investigates rehabilitation and self-help programs in addition to studying the prisoners. She assesses the programs’ effectiveness and makes recommendations for updates and changes based on her findings. Her scope of inquiry also includes educational programs.
A penologist follows up on the lives of released prisoners on a regular basis to see if the education and rehabilitation programs they were enrolled in while incarcerated were effective in helping them reintegrate into society. Prisoners and former inmates are asked to anonymously rate the quality of the facility’s programs and provide feedback on the parole process on a regular basis. This information is used by a penologist to prepare reports for management or outside evaluation agencies working on prison reform.
If the prison authorities like her analysis and recommendations, she might be asked to write reports and proposals outlining her improvement plans. These could include ideas for improving personal development courses or putting in place anger management or drug counseling programs. The penologist’s proposals may also include suggestions for policy changes, changes to physical environments, and changes to personnel communication techniques.
Inquisitiveness and excellent communication skills are typical characteristics of a successful penologist. She may be required to speak with inmates, guards, and administrators on the same day, so she must be able to interact with a variety of personalities. Prisoners and administrators may be hesitant to consider changes proposed by an outsider unless they have experience defusing volatile situations and dealing with adversity.
A bachelor’s degree in justice administration, psychology, or criminal justice is required for a career as a penologist. Penology courses are frequently offered as part of these undergraduate programs. Penologist opportunities vary by location and are highly dependent on individual institution budget allowances.