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The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin [katarzyna.lenart-klos@kul.pl; justynanowicka@kul.lublin.pl]

Job satisfaction and a sense of purpose at work

among prisoners

Abstract: Work is one of the most important factors of rehabilitation. It instils in prisoners the spirit of prosocial behavior, and is conducive to developing attitudes generally viewed as socially desirable. It is the instrument for achieving re-education as well as preventing recid-ivism. The high level of sense of work leads to greater satisfaction and involvement of pris-oners. It helps one to find him/herself in the labor market after being released from prison. The present research involves 198 hired convicts from Lublin Remand Centre and it has been carried out by applying M. Steger’s WAMI questionnaire, A. Zalewska’s Satisfaction With Job Scale and the authors’ survey. This research gives an answer to the question: is there a  correlation between job satisfaction and the sense of purpose of work, and are the respondents planning to find a  job after their sentence?

Prisoners with a higher degree of personal sense of work are more likely to: feel greater sat-isfaction from their work, act for the benefit of the general public, make more realistic plans involving their release, and better prepared for finding themselves on the labor market after expiration of a  sentence. Job satisfaction among working prisoners depends on payment. The high degree of prisoners sense of purpose of work and satisfaction with it are significant factors of the involvement in the reintegration process.

Key words: prisoner’s work, sense of work, job satisfaction.

Introduction

Staying in prison and interruption of systematic social contacts has a negative impact on the quality of the prisoner’s relationship with their surroundings. The

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hitherto manner of satisfying human needs, such as a sense of security, belonging, self-fulfillment, is being shaken. An obvious consequence of penitentiary isolation is the weakening of ties with members of the society, temporary exclusion from the social system and individual spheres of life in which they functioned. The loss of social anchorage of prisoners generates deficits in social activity and impacts on the perpetuation of inactivity of the individual, also in the context of participation in the labor market. It is therefore important to activate prisoners and to provide them with new knowledge, assistance and resources so that, once they have served their sentences, they have the motivation to act in accordance with the law and are able to provide themselves and their loved ones with a decent living. It is advisable to stimulate them to cooperate in a planned way and to shape socially desirable attitudes. One of the means of rehabilitation is to develop a habit of working and create the right attitudes towards it, thanks to which convicts leaving prisons are better prepared to live in freedom.

The importance of work based on the

“Work for Prisoners” program

Work plays an important role in a person’s life and, defined as a tool to meet many social needs, usually becomes a means to achieve life’s goals. Research shows that with the increasing importance of work for people, there is an increase in life satisfaction (Wołowska 2013, pp. 119–132). Its lack causes economic, social and psychological consequences and promotes social separation, loneliness and limiting contacts to the closest ones.

Work is also an inherent element of serving a prison sentence, it has a practical and educational function, and is no longer treated as a tool of retaliation against a criminal (Pstrąg 2014, pp. 148–151). Prisoners are not punished by being hired, but they learn new roles or improve their skills this way. The work of the convicts allows for the simulation of life outside bars. Taking up a job allows one to earn a living, motivates to build commitment, develop and obtain life satisfaction (Uggen 2000, pp. 542–543). The process of social reintegration, with the aim of preparing prisoners for their return to society, should take into account their employment, in which systemic planning and implementation of various adaptation measures play a key role (Nowak 2019a, pp. 13–32). Therefore, work carried out by convicts deprived of their liberty is included in documents at transnational and national level.

Among the most important are the 1987 European Prison Rules, which were substantially amended in 2006 on the basis of Recommendation Rec (2006) 2 of the Committee of Ministers of the Member States of the Council of Europe on European Prison Rules adopted by the Committee of Ministers on January 11, 2006 and the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Mandela Rules). The revised European Prison Rules treat the work

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of prisoners as a positive element of prison rigor, without considering it as a punishment. The work of prisoners should be useful and teach them how to earn a living after release (pt. 26.1–26.17). Likewise, the work is covered by the Mandela Rules. It shall not be of a punitive ailment nature or be provided under duress, and its nature and usefulness shall enhance the ability of convicts to have an honest paid work after the period of penitentiary isolation. Wherever possible, the predispositions of the prisoners should be taken into account and the choice of profession allowed (rules 96–98). The documents quoted above present work in prison conditions as a kind of simulation of life outside prison. They point to the role of insurance, fair pay, rest, adapting tasks to psychophysical possibilities, and therefore the issues taken into account in the open labor market. The above recommendations are reflected in the Executive Penal Code, the law regulating the treatment of prisoners in Poland. Work is mentioned here as one of the means of influencing convicted persons with respect for their rights and the enforcement of the obligations imposed on prisoners (Article 67 § 3). Where possible, convicted persons should take up employment, taking into account in particular their education, profession, interests and personal needs. Polish law specifically refers to ensuring work to persons having maintenance obligations and difficult financial, personal or family situation (Articles 121–122).

In the conditions of Polish prisons, work, especially paid work, was difficult for prisoners to access for many years. Thanks to the implementation of the “Work for Prisoners” program in penitentiaries and detention facilities in 2016, which supports professional activation of convicts deprived of their liberty, more and more convicts systematically take up employment. The program assumes the construction of production halls in penitentiaries, increasing the possibility of unpaid work for the benefit of local governments, as well as granting concessions for entrepreneurs who will employ convicted persons. The production halls will be built with funds from the Fund for Professional Activation of Convicts and Development of Prisoner Work Facilities, which come from deductions from the wages of convicts (Jaki 2017, pp. 79–98). The Prison Service’s “Work for Prisoners” program is based on the conscious participation of prisoners in employment, a key element of the reintegration process. Prisoners who are aware of the real impact on their own functioning, interpersonal relations, generated needs and design of changes, have a chance to refrain from committing crimes in the future. Work requires the convicted person to act according to certain rules and regulations and, on the other hand, it can help in achieving the desired objectives if the prisoners feel the sense of the tasks they are doing and feel satisfaction.

The sense of purpose of work

The emphasis in social rehabilitation measures is on motivating convicts to generate the need for greater participation in the redefinition of tasks, relations,

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perception of work and shaping positive attitudes towards work. This contributes to job satisfaction, wellbeing and increased productivity, and leads to the belief that one’s own actions as an employee make sense. According to the F. Herzberg’s theory, focusing on the inner qualities of work is an additional motivating factor.

Therefore, it is postulated to enrich work, i.e. to expand it in such a way that the employee can play a greater role in the planning, implementation and evaluation of their own work, thus ensuring an increase in the level of job satisfaction and

motivation to work (Mazur 2013, pp. 156–182). The sense of purpose of work appears as an element of the answer to the question about the meaning of life. A conscious choice of employment, as far as possible, gives a new quality to prison existence. Selection of an employee for the position, meeting the expectations of the contractor and the convicted person and leading to the proper performance by the prisoner of the role of an employee, is significant. It is also important to build awareness of the mission of the prison system and of the purpose of employment of prisoners. A convicted person who understands the whole process is more easily involved in the work. This is related to the sense of employee welfare, strongly linked to the sense of purpose of work.

From a psychological point of view, every human being has an immanent need to make sense of their own actions, regardless of the environment in which they function. The sense of purpose of work is a subjective state, based on internal standards and uncontrollable from the outside, because the human being has their own way of discovering it. The employee is responsible for finding, feeling and controlling the sense of purpose of work (Czerw 2017, p. 75). The sense of purpose of the work does not have to relate to the employee’s personal objectives, but the performance of the work must be logically and reasonably justified and aimed at a non-personal objective. An employee carrying out a task does not have to see it as important for them, but in order to raise the level of professional well-being, they must be able to justify their action. Working then is no longer just an egotistical need and purpose of the employee. This means that the employee adopts a non-personal or even pro-social perspective and can perform work that is important for other people or organizations (Czerw 2017, p. 52).

According to the model of work characteristics (Hackman, Oldham 1980), the sense of purpose of work felt by an employee is a combination of the skills used by them, the consistency of the tasks performed in relation to the objective and the degree of influence of the work on their personal and professional life and social environment. The conviction about the subjective effectiveness of one’s own work has its source in information about the effectiveness of the work done by the employee.

In order to properly build a sense of purpose of the work, it is important to perceive oneself in an adequate way in the context of one’s own role in the realization of the organization’s mission. The mission of the penitentiary organization skillfully communicated to prisoners by their superiors contributes to building the sense of purpose of the tasks they perform (Steger et al. 2012,

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pp. 322–337). The same is true if the autonomous initiative of employees is directed towards a global objective (e.g. work for the benefit of others). Then the introduction of more difficult tasks results in an employee’s willingness to develop (in the case of new tasks) and an increase in the sense of their own competence in the community for routine tasks (Cieciuch 2013, pp. 22–41).

Employees who treat their own work as a vocation find much more sense in it. Similar functions are fulfilled by altruistic activities, which contribute significantly to the maintenance of professional well-being. What is important here is the constant perception of the sense of purpose of work and a coherent reference to personal values and benefits such as giving more meaning to one’s own life through an adequate perception of the sense of purpose of work leading to development and realization of personal goals. This way of understanding the sense of purpose of work is similar to the Eudaimonistic dimension of well-being, which clearly determines the harmony of human life through consistency with the self (Puchalska-Kamińska et al. 2019, pp. 2–29). A convict who carries out tasks in accordance with attitudes and values has an impact on the increase in the sense of purpose of work. This concept (Steger et al. 2012, pp. 322–337) assumes that the sense of purpose of work is increased by the belief that it is done for the benefit of the social good and is beneficial to the subject themselves. The perception of one’s own work as a mission can also lead to an increase in the sense of purpose of work by increasing motivation (Kasprzak et al. 2017, pp. 459– 475). Encouraging employees to actively participate in employment usually brings an individualization component to the realization of their duties, motivating them to redefine tasks, relations and perception of work. The prisoner’s initiative leads to a conscious realization of the goals in accordance with their own preferences, motivation, and thus elements of work desired by the employer.

Satisfaction with work

Work is one of the most important aspects of life for most people, and satisfaction with work has an impact on the feeling of satisfaction with life (Wołowska 2013, pp. 119–132). Work is connected with the possibility of realizing one’s own needs, objectives, values and beliefs. This is how attitudes towards tasks connected with professional activity are shaped, i.e. feelings and thoughts about one’s own work (Zalewska 2003, pp. 49–61).

Work satisfaction is understood as an attitude towards work and includes two aspects. The first is the emotional aspect, where feelings towards and at work play a central role, and means an emotional reaction of pleasure or annoyance that is experienced in connection with certain tasks, functions and roles. This aspect is related to the satisfaction of both internal human needs, such as the sense of responsibility or the need for achievements, and internal needs (good interpersonal

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relations, fair remuneration and good working conditions). The second is the cognitive aspect, depending on the employee’s judgement of work. Psychological literature emphasizes the emotional aspect, and therefore it is important how much a person likes work (Bańka 2000, p. 329). Satisfaction is expressed in affective reactions. The emotional aspect is called emotional judgement, general sensation or mood at work, and the cognitive aspect is called work satisfaction (Miąsek et al. 2015, pp. 305–310). The cognitive aspect of the work is more stable and gives an affective tone to human experience. The emotional aspect is determined by situational changes (Borowska-Pietrzak 2014, pp. 9–22).

According to Derbis and Bańka, job satisfaction can be considered as general and particular job satisfaction. On a general level, it is linked to a general emotional attitude towards work, without the need for a link between the various factors of work. On a partitive level, however, job satisfaction is a specific kind of pleasure referring only to some specific factor of work, without the requirement of the dependence of these factors on each other (Wołowska 2013, pp. 119–132).

In sociological terms, work satisfaction is the result of satisfaction with what one has and dissatisfaction with what one does not yet have (Januszek, Sikora 1998, p. 178). In terms of work as a tool for achieving satisfaction, it is worth emphasizing the role of positive attitude of an employee towards the entrusted tasks, working conditions, superiors and co-workers, which is a result of the influence of external factors: remuneration, material working environment conditions, interpersonal relations, management style. Personality factors are also very important here. Satisfaction is a higher level of gratification from work and is associated with the impact of factors such as learning opportunities, entrusted responsibility or recognition of superiors (Kaczkowska-Serafińska 2011, pp. 323–344).

Gratification from work can be described as an emotional reaction of pleasure or annoyance that is experienced in connection with the performance of certain activities (Bańka 2000, p. 329). The determinants of gratification from work cover three groups – organizational, social and individual factors. The organizational group includes working conditions, remuneration and promotion opportunities. Social determinants include the atmosphere in the company, adherence to certain values, relations with colleagues and direct superiors. Individual factors are characteristics that describe the employee: sex, age, their needs and professional experience (Gros 2003, pp. 115–116). A prerequisite for achieving job satisfaction is gratification, understood as a reaction to the work situation. The effects of gratification from work include “most often tasks that are relatively permanent and repetitive, with a greater degree of complexity and difficulty”. Time is the variable that differentiates gratification and satisfaction (Wudarzewski 2013, p. 337).

Gratification from life and work can give energy for action and development (Fredrickson 2001, pp. 218–226) and promote motivation for work and its effective performance (Judge et al. 2001, pp. 376–407), strengthen the motivation to engage in training activities and broaden one’s own competences, as it is

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related to the assessment of the chances of achieving the goal of undertaking training (Łaguna 2012, pp. 163–172). Employees satisfied with their work are more positive about the goal of taking developmental actions.

Research shows that access to training opportunities and professional development programs is a source of gratification from work and own career (Burke et al. 2012, pp. 95–111) and professional development and well-organized training have an impact on gratification from work(Panari et al. 2010, pp.166–179). It turns out that high job satisfaction is related to a positive attitude to training (Currall et al. 2005, pp. 613–640). In prison isolation, access to training and professional upgrading is somewhat more limited and profiled than outside prison, but it exists.

Bańka (2000) points out that overall work satisfaction cannot be regarded as the sum of the gratification from individual components, as different components may be of varying importance to the employee.

Gratification from work is also the employee’s sense of achievement and success at work, directly related to productivity as well as personal wellbeing, enthusiasm, happiness at work, the need for recognition, income, promotion and other goals. Job satisfaction is also related to the employee’s satisfaction with the awards received, especially in terms of internal motivation (Aziri 2011, pp. 77–86). Such satisfaction is also achievable in the work in penitentiary isolation.

Own research

The research was conducted to determine whether there is a link between the sense of purpose of work and the level of job satisfaction in the work of prisoners. It also collected prisoners’ opinions on the continuation of work after serving a prison sentence and on the impact of their stay in prison on the possibility of receiving work outside prison. In addition, it was important to demonstrate differences in the group of prisoners in terms of sex, age, previous criminal record and type of employment (paid vs. unpaid).

A survey, metrics, and the Work Satisfaction Scale by A.M. Zalewska (2003) and WAMI questionnaire (Steger et al. 2012, in the Polish adaptation of Czerw et al. 2018). The Work Satisfaction Scale measures the cognitive aspect of overall gratification from work as a holistic, complex phenomenon that requires an informed assessment of work based on personal criteria1. The WAMI questionnaire measures

1 Five claims were included in the questionnaire: 1. In many ways my work is close to perfect, 2. I have excellent working conditions, 3. I am satisfied with my work, 4. So far at work I have ma-naged to achieve what I wanted, 5. If I were to decide again, I would choose the same job. Before the statements are made, there is a short standard instruction asking for each statement to be assigned an opinion number from a 7-point scale that best matches the opinion of the person examined. The instruction also asks for honest answers. Before the statements, there is a numbered scale of opinions: 1 – I definitely don’t agree; 2 – I don’t agree; 3 – I generally don’t agree; 4 – it’s difficult to say whether I agree or not; 5 – I generally agree; 6 – I agree; 7 – I definitely agree.

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the sense of purpose of work on the basis of three dimensions: positive meaning, building a sense of purpose through work and motivation for greater good2.

The sample was selected at random. Participation in the survey was voluntary, the participants filled in a set of questionnaire tests for free. The research was conducted in the period from December 2019 to January 2020. According to the data of the Central Board of Prison Service for 2019, the average number of detainees in Poland was 74564, 17055 prisoners were on paid employment, 19835 were on unpaid employment. The average employment rate in 2019 was 55.7%3. In the light of these data, it can be assumed that the test sample reflects

the regularity of the population of prisoners deprived of their liberty.

Table 1. Characteristics of respondents

Frequency Percent Sex female 64 32.3 male 134 67.7 Age up to 21 years old 8 4.0 aged 22–30 49 24.7 aged 31–45 103 52.0 aged 46–55 30 15.2

aged 56 and more 8 4.0

How many prison sentences have you served?

this is my first sentence 129 65.2

several 65 32.8

Do you have a paid/unpaid job?

paid 99 50.0

unpaid 92 46.5

no answer 7 3.5

Source: own research.

The study involved 198 working prisoners in the Detention Center in Lublin, without any division into those employed temporarily arrested and those serving prison sentences, including 64 women (32.3%) and 134 men (67.7%). The age structure of the respondents is as follows: 8 persons aged up to 21 (4%), 49 persons aged 22–30 (24.7%), 103 persons aged 31–45 (52%), 30 persons aged 2 The WAMI questionnaire (The Work and Meaning Inventory) consists of 10 items: 6 items re-lating to the sense of purpose of work from a personal perspective (e.g. I have taken a career path that matters), 4 items relating to the sense of purpose of work in a global perspective (e.g. I know that my work changes the world for the better). The respondents responded to the statements on a five-grade scale determining the frequency of a given feeling, behavior: from 0 – definitely not true to 5 – definitely true.

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46–55 (15.2%), 8 persons aged 56 and more (4%). There were 129 first-time convicts (65.2%), 66 people (33.3%) were repeat offenders, 3 people (1.5%) did not respond. There are 99 paid employees (50%), 92 unpaid employees (46.5%), 7 persons did not answer (3.5%).

Research results

Data on the characteristics of the examined variables are presented in Table 2. The average results on the work satisfaction scale are M = 22.14; SD = 7.00; on the personal WAMI scale M = 20.73; SD = 5.82, and on the global WAMI scale M = 13.22; SD = 3.85.

Table 2. Descriptive statistics of the results obtained in the individual questionnaires

N Minimum Maximum Mean Standard deviation

Satisfaction 198 5.00 35.00 22.1465 7.00716

Personal WAMI 198 6.00 30.00 20.7374 5.82500

Global WAMI 198 4.00 20.00 13.2222 3.85803

Valid N 198

Source: own research.

The analysis shows that there is a positive relationship between work satisfaction and the sense of purpose of work both in the personal (r = 0.592; p < 0.01) and global (r = 0.545; p < 0.01) perspective. This means that the higher the level of satisfaction from work in the examined group, the higher is the sense of purpose in personal and global work. The data on this subject is presented in table 3.

Table 3. The relationship between job satisfaction and personal and global sense of purpose of work (N = 198)

Satisfaction Personal WAMI Global WAMI Satisfaction Pearson’s correlation 1

Significance (bilateral)

Personal WAMI Pearson’s correlation .592* 1 Significance (bilateral) .000

Global WAMI Pearson’s correlation .545* .787* 1

Significance (bilateral) .000 .000 *. Correlation is significant at the level 0.01 (bilaterally).

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The group studied consists of people who are paid for their work (N = 99) and people who work unpaid (N = 92). Seven people in the sample did not answer the question about being paid for work. A stronger dependence can be seen in a group that works unpaid. This applies both to the relationship between job satisfaction and personal (r = 0.639; p < 0.01) and global sense of purpose of work (r = 0.611; p < 0.01). In the group of people being paid for work, the relationship between satisfaction and personal and global sense of purpose of work is significant, but the correlation coefficient is lower than in the other group (r = 0.526; p < 0.01 and r = 0.452; p < 0.01 respectively). Details on this subject are given in Tables 4 and 5.

Table 4. The relationship between job satisfaction and the sense of purpose of work among prisoners who are paid for their work (N = 99)

Satisfaction Personal WAMI Global WAMI Satisfaction Pearson’s correlation 1

Significance (bilateral)

Personal WAMI Pearson’s correlation .526* 1 Significance (bilateral) .000

Global WAMI Pearson’s correlation .452* .788* 1

Significance (bilateral) .000 .000 * Correlation is significant at the level 0.01 (two-sided).

Source: own research

Table 5. The relationship between job satisfaction and the sense of purpose of work among prisoners who do their work for free (N = 92)

Satisfaction Personal WAMI Global WAMI Satisfaction Pearson’s correlation 1

Significance (bilateral)

Personal WAMI Pearson’s correlation .639* 1 Significance (bilateral) .000

Global WAMI Pearson’s correlation .611* .772* 1

Significance (bilateral) .000 .000 * Correlation is significant at the level 0.01 (two-sided).

Source: own research.

It was decided to additionally check whether receiving remuneration for work differentiates groups in terms of satisfaction and sense of purpose of work. The level of work satisfaction is higher in the group that receives remuneration for

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their work (M = 23.62; SD = 6.42) than among respondents who work for free (M = 20.53; SD = 7.40). Mann-Whitney’s U test analysis showed that the differences between the groups are statistically significant (U = 3500.00; p < 0.01). However, the groups do not differ in terms of personal and global sense of purpose of work (data are contained in Tables 6 and 7).

Table 6. Group differences with grouping variable: compensation for work

Satisfaction Personal WAMI Global WAMI

Mann-Whitney’s U 3500.000 3926.000 4012.000

Asymptotic significance (bilateral) .006 .099 .154

Source: own research

Table 7. Average job satisfaction results in terms of wages

Satisfaction Paid workers (N = 99) Unpaid workers (N = 92)

Mean 23.6162 20.5326

Standard deviation 6.42175 7.39832

Source: own research.

The respondents also referred to their intention to take up or continue professional activity and assessed their own chances of finding a job after serving the prison sentence (Table 8 and 9).

Table 8. Intention to work after serving the prison sentence

After serving your prison sentence, do you intend to work? Frequency (N) Percent

Definitely yes 164 82.8

I think so 24 12.1

I don’t think so 6 3.0

Hard to say 4 2.0

Total 198 100

Source: own research.

Among the employed convicts, 94.9% intend to work after serving the prison sentence. None of the respondents took the position “definitely not”, and 5 respondents (6.1%) answered “hard to say” and “rather not”.

Persons employed during imprisonment also referred to how, in their opinion, the fact of serving a prison sentence affects the chances of those released from prison on the labor market.

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Table 9. Opinions on the impact of imprisonment on job opportunities

In your opinion, how does your stay in prison affect your ability to

get a job once you get out? Frequency (N) Percent Employers do not want to hire people with convictions 32 16.2 It’s a little harder, but you can find work 100 50.5 Prison time does not affect the attitude of employers 37 18.7

Hard to say 29 14.6

Total 198 100

Source: own research.

Half of the respondents believe that staying in prison may make it difficult to find a job after serving a sentence (50.5%). The others are divided in their opinions, 18.7% are of the opinion that the criminal record does not affect the attitude of employers, 16.2% of the respondents believe that the criminal record of a candidate makes the employer unwilling to hire such a person. Both groups are comparable in terms of size (99 paid employees, 92 unpaid employees, 7 did not answer the question).

Discussing of the results

The examination of the various aspects of the work of convicts deprived of their liberty allows for better organization of the work and for better results. The dynamically changing labor market in Poland determines the necessity of flexible adaptation of employers to its challenges, and this also applies to the prison system.

Agnieszka Wróbel-Chmiel’s research proves that there is no significant difference in the perception of the possibility of being satisfied with professional tasks as an asset of prison employment by prisoners engaged in paid and unpaid employment (40.5% against 37.5%) (Wróbel-Chmiel 2017, p. 80). At the same time, the same research shows that paid employment of prisoners deprived of their liberty plays an important role in shaping their sense of purpose of life. Paid work is naturally associated with financial gratification, and it shapes life’s optimism, the sense of purpose of one’s own existence, the willingness to live and the conviction that one is someone responsible and valuable (Wróbel-Chmiel 2017, p. 82). Own research conducted by the authors of this article presents different results. Being paid for work does not affect the sense of meaning of work, but convicts who receive a salary achieve greater work satisfaction.

Studies by Eliza Mazur show that the convicts present positive attitudes towards work (Mazur 2019, p. 120). Paid work in particular allows you to gain

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money and meet your needs in a socially acceptable way, which can translate into attitudes towards work after release from prison. It is important for prisoners to be paid for their tasks. Among the factors supporting the return to freedom conditions, paid work was indicated by 63.2% of the surveyed prisoners, and unpaid work by 35.5% (Kozłowska 2009, p. 145).

The presented results of research show that 94.9% of the prisoners employed during their imprisonment declare their willingness to work after serving their sentence. More than half of the respondents believed that the fact of them being employed during the sentence has an impact on their chances of getting a job once out of prison. This confirms a certain tendency, as the results of other studies have shown that almost 91% of the surveyed recidivists intend to work after leaving prison (Nowak 2019b, p. 294). At the same time, these studies show that the criminal past has made it difficult for convicts leaving prison to find employment (Nowak 2019b, p. 298). However, it is important that convicts who take up work in prisons learn that this is the right way to make a living.

Anna Kozłowska’s research among working prisoners shows that in their opinion (65%) they have a good chance of finding employment after serving their sentence (Kozłowska 2009, p. 146). The own research presented in the article also shows that prisoners intend to work after leaving prison and are quite optimistic about the future in this regard.

Work as a means of influencing the prisoner should be properly paid, socially useful, creative, voluntary, in line with the prisoner’s interests, abilities and education, should provide the prisoner with an opportunity to succeed, to win, to improve their qualifications, to teach discipline, responsibility and respect for money and to respect the fundamental rights of workers (Pstrąg 2014, pp. 148–151).

It should be noted that the prisoners and their families are in a cross-system of threats relating to adaptation problems, including serious shortcomings in life skills, the deprivation of many needs and the problems they face, including addiction, disability, low professional qualifications, poverty, unemployment (Nowak 2019a, pp. 13–32). It is only the prison that is often the place where deficits can be made up. Work is an important part of shaping the right attitudes of prisoners. The convicts themselves accept work-based social rehabilitation activities, even when they discuss whether rehabilitation exists at all (Lenart-Kłoś 2013, p. 246). The implemented “Work for Prisoners” prison program is a concrete solution, giving the opportunity to observe how work becomes an effective means to achieve the desired effects of rehabilitation.

Final thoughts

Work seems to play an important role in the functioning of prisoners deprived of their liberty and in shaping their attitudes, beliefs, life goals, recognized values,

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the nature of interpersonal relations and worldview. In the case of prisoners deprived of their liberty who constitute a group of socially excluded or at risk of exclusion, the work carried out during their sentence should become an essential form of corrective, educational or therapeutic influence. The study showed how important it is for prisoners to work during their stay in penitentiary isolation, even if it is unpaid (a stronger correlation was shown in the group of unpaid prisoners between job satisfaction and the personal and global sense of work). This result may be able to translate into the need for active participation in the labor market after release from prison, which may have an impact not only on preventing a return to crime, but also on ensuring the safety of the ex-prisoners and their families.

The Polish penitentiary system does not interfere with the employment of ex-cons. They have a chance to continue working for the employer who hired them while they were still serving their sentence. Maintaining employment in a known workplace is a way for employees to feel secure (Wołowska 2013, p. 130). Thus, shaping prisoners’ working habits, giving them the chance to prove themselves individually in safe conditions before they take up work on their own after leaving prison, seems to generate their personal need for stability and job security.

In future studies, it is worth extending the sample to other circles, as a broader representation of the individual categories of prisoners and types of employment will allow for a more detailed exploration of trends in the sample from the entire population. Only two important explanatory variables have been considered. Although the percentage of the explained variance is large, the inclusion of more variables would allow for a richer picture of the conditions of work satisfaction of convicts deprived of their liberty.

The authors also note deficits in research focusing on the factors determining prisoners’ satisfaction at work. The work satisfaction surveys in the prison context rather concern prison staff (Abderhalden et al. 2019, Rożnowski, Nowicka 2019, Paoline et al. 2015, pp. 1–17). This article therefore sheds new light on the issue of prisoners’ participation in the labor market and indicates the direction of further search for working conditions among convicts.

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