As the Canadian federal correctional system grappled with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, institutional parole officers, who play a central role in prisoners’ case management team, remained essential service providers. Working in uncertain circumstances, these correctional workers navigated new and rapidly changing protocols and risks, while attempting to continue to provide support to those on their caseloads. Based on semi-structured interviews with 96 institutional parole officers, conducted after Canada’s “first wave” of COVID-19 infections, we analyze three ways in which their work was impacted by the pandemic: shifting workloads, routines, and responsibilities; increased workloads due to decarceration (i.e., efforts to reduce the number of incarcerated individuals); and the navigation of new forms of risk and uncertainty. This study advances the understanding of stress and risk in probation and parole work and presents recommendations to ameliorate the occupational stresses experienced by correctional workers during and beyond COVID-19.

随着加拿大联邦惩教系统应对新冠肺炎 (COVID-19) 大流行的爆发，在囚犯案件管理团队中发挥核心作用的机构假释官员仍然是重要的服务提供者。这些惩教人员在不确定的环境中工作，应对新的、快速变化的协议和风险，同时试图继续为案件中的人员提供支持。基于在加拿大“第一波”COVID-19 感染后对 96 名机构假释官进行的半结构化访谈，我们分析了他们的工作受到大流行影响的三种方式：工作量、日常工作和责任的转变；由于监禁而增加的工作量（即努力减少被监禁者的数量）；以及新形式的风险和不确定性的导航。这项研究增进了对缓刑和假释工作中压力和风险的理解，并提出了缓解惩教人员在 COVID-19 期间和之后所经历的职业压力的建议。