Governing the captives: forensic psychiatric nursing in corrections

Area of Science:

• Forensic Psychiatry
• Nursing Studies
• Criminology

Background:

• Canadian federal inmates have had access to psychiatric care since 1978.
• Five psychiatric units operate within the Federal Correctional Services.
• Forensic psychiatric nursing presents unique challenges, balancing punitive and caring mandates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present findings from a grounded theory doctoral study.
• To explore nursing practice in a Canadian multi-level security psychiatric ward.
• To illuminate qualitative data using Foucault and Goffman's theories.

Main Methods:

• Grounded theory doctoral study.
• Qualitative data analysis.
• Application of Foucaultian and Goffman's sociological theories.

Main Results:

• Forensic psychiatric nurses are "subjects of power" through "governmental technologies" like sovereign, disciplinary, and pastoral techniques.
• Nurses are also "objects of power", constrained by penitentiary regulations.
• Nursing staff conform to correctional milieu customs.

Conclusions:

• This research offers a novel nursing perspective on forensic psychiatric practice in Canada.
• The findings highlight the complex power dynamics influencing nurses in correctional settings.
• This study is the first of its kind reported in Canada since 1978.