Hester Paanakker

2.7.2 Variance of prison officers’ value orientations Humanity. The first set of value orientations is clustered into the category of humanity in detention provision (see table 2.2) . As shown by the specific qualities mentioned, humanity refers to the idea that detainees are to be treated as humanely as possible, with a detention climate and staff approach that first and foremost sees the person behind the detainee. Value orientations in this category refer, without exception, to qualities in the individual professional and focus on how detainees should be approached. In total, ten variations of this value cluster were coded. One variation stands out. First and foremost, prison officers state they ought to be there to handle individual requests for help and assistance, both practical (for example, with filling out forms or managing distribution of food, soap, or clothing at the department) and emotional (for example, putting stressful detainees at ease or referring inmates to social workers). ‘You are some sort of spokesman for the detainees. They come to you with all sorts of requests for help […]. Basically, I am the filter for them to the rest of the facility’ (respondent 13). Besides such personal and tailor-made care and support for individual detainees, (the most frequently mentioned, with 15 out of 18 respondents mentioning it), the most important key quality of the prison officer is said to be the deployment of a treatment style towards detainees that is founded on respect and dignity (mentioned by 7 respondents) and empathy (mentioned by 5 respondents). Or, in the words of a respondent: ‘ c’est le ton qui fait la musique ’ (respondent 5). This respondent provides the example of the quality of the first contact in the morning when waking detainees to go to labor. One can open the cell door by saying ‘ Good morning, time for labor, would you like to go to labor, did you manage to get some sleep?’ or by snapping ‘ Labor! ’, which evokes an entirely different dynamic. Other respondents mention offering ‘ an almost tailormade detention climate ’ by being sensitive to detainees’ personal problems or stress and allowing an extra phone call or providing basic emotional guidance accordingly: ‘ But also […i]nsecure boys that don’t know what to expect, for them I am a centerpiece to at least explain to them what is coming and how to cope with that’ (respondent 12 ) and ‘ I just approach them as fellow human beings and I do not approach them as a piece of dirt ’ (respondent 7). 49 Craftsmanship at Street Level