Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented problems to correctional facilities globally, increasing issues of overcrowding and public health. This study delves into the lived experiences of jail officers during the pandemic, focusing on their experiences with high congestion rates among persons deprived of liberty. Twelve participants were given detailed semi structured interviews to investigate their lived experiences, and the data was analyzed utilizing interpretative phenomenological analysis. This study exposes the many challenges that these jail officers encountered as they reached an intricate setting where health, safety, and justice all intersected. Findings discuss the emotional experiences, health risks, and personal problems experienced by jail officers while upholding their duty of care. Moreover, this study emphasizes the importance of lawmakers actions and reform within the criminal justice system to ensure the safety of both jail officials and inmates as well as following public health crises. The experiences of jail officers, who were first hand witnesses of the pandemic's outcome on the prison population, provide light on important facets of our society's behavior to these unprecedented conditions. This study informs concerning future readiness and change in the criminal justice system and helps us understand the intricate dynamics that existed within correctional facilities throughout the epidemic.
