Hester Paanakker

The divergence is most powerfully explained by a very strong perceived divergence on value prioritization and enactment, but distinct differences can also be detected in the types (identification) and meaning (understanding) of values that are attributed to other staff levels than one’s own. Interestingly, street-level prison officers are most positively evaluated: respondents from other staff levels think the perceptions of prison officers best resemble their own views on craftsmanship (as previously defined in the set of four values that respondents ascribe to). Policy advisors are seen to have the most deviant street-level beliefs. When comparing the aggregated scores per value –that is, including how much emphasis respondents put on the (sub)variations of craft-defining skills, knowledge and practices that underpin these values–, in respondents’ own value perceptions vis-à-vis their value perceptions of each other, quite different value patterns emerge. As table 4.3 shows, humanity drops significantly in the list of important values and is now analyzed to rank third place. Other striking changes are that “efficiency” enters the value patterns as a new, fifth, value, and that task effectiveness is seen as the prime value focus of other levels emphasize with a truly major distance to the other values in the ranking. Altogether, respondents mention concrete categories of skills, knowledge and practices that relate to task effectiveness 187 times. In comparison, (sub) variations of humanity, or efficiency, are mentioned 55 and 18 times respectively (see table 4.3). As table 4.4 shows, this value pattern is confirmed when breaking the value patterns down per respondent group. Table 4.3. Comparing own views and mutual views Comparing aggregated scores of own views and mutual views per value ( N =55) Own views of the penal craft Mutual views on each other’s perceptions of the penal craft* 1. HUMANITY (71) 2. TASK EFFECTIVENESS (52) 3. SECURITY (39) 4. REINTEGRATION (14) 1. TASK EFFECTIVENESS (187) 2. SECURITY (63) 3. HUMANITY (55) 4. REINTEGRATION (21) 5. EFFICIENCY (18) 109 Comparing Perceptions of the Frontline Craft