Hester Paanakker

comparison did not render any significant differences between the two cases. These qualities represent ideal type characterizations of very tangible and profession-bound norms and guidelines for action. They constitute a set of professional activities unique to detainee care, or, in the language of craftsmanship, a required set of unique skills and practices to deliver good penal work. They should not be mistaken for nonexistent or untenable ideals that have little to do with actual practice: participatory observation confirmed that the ideals mentioned are closely aligned with the practical activities prison officers perform on a daily basis. Some variance can be detected in the diversity of qualities and in the different combinations that prison officers mention: they not all name all the qualities, nor are they each mentioned to the same extent. From observation it was also learned that, broadly speaking, there are two different types of prison officers: the “soft” ones that prioritize empathy, respect, close contact, and understanding in their work with detainees, and the so-called “hardliners” that work from the conviction that authority, repression, disciplining and distance is key. This distinction, and the usefulness of having the two groups on the shop floor, was also confirmed in the interviews with respondents. Of course, this results in different types of and emphases in craftsmanship. However, the data displays remarkable consistency when aggregating these concrete qualities to the more abstract values they describe. Again, different respondents place different emphases, but on the aggregated level, this renders a highly convergent image of prison officers subscribing to a common core of four key values: public craftsmanship in the prison sector is about safeguarding the central values of humanity, security, reintegration efforts and task effectiveness (variations of these values were mentioned 88, 45, 39 and 15 times respectively). Interestingly, these four core values are surprisingly commonly understood, both within and across both cases, and signal an exceptionally high convergence of street level perceptions of penal craftsmanship. First, as demonstrated by table 3.2, humanity orientations represent the most important pillar of craftsmanship, according to respondents. They refer to how detainees should be treated. This category fosters the idea of a prison officer who is there to cater to the needs of detainees, with a detention climate and staff approach that first and foremost sees the person behind the 78 Chapter 3