Course: Managing Service Organzation

THE PRISON SERVICE

The prison service provides an excellent example of the complexity of stakeholder requirements, to some extent reflecting the mixed task it faces.

Society requires the service to carry out potentially conflicting activities:

to ensure that 'dangerous criminals' are locked up for the safety of society

to provide a regime that will punish wrongdoers as a means of payment for their crimes

to support inmates, providing counselling and training to rehabilitate and reform them, to reduce the likelihood of re- offending.

The principal stakeholders and their requirements are as follows:

Government ministers with responsibility for the prison service will be concerned to fulfil manifesto promises while meeting spending targets. At the same time they will be concerned about stories of prisoner escapes or drug abuse that may be damaging to their personal reputation, possibly forcing their resignation.

Prison governors will seek to provide an appropriate environment for inmates, while keeping to strict operating budgets.

Prison officers will be concerned to strike a balance between building a rapport with inmates and enforcing discipline.

Offenders will have a wide range of requirements depending on the nature of the offence, length of term, desire to change, and so on.

Families of offenders may wish to maintain contact with inmates.

Members of society want to feel safe from criminals but will also believe that some help should be provided for those who wish to reform. The relationships between these stakeholder groups are often complex. Clearly, politicians ultimately report to those who elect them, including prison officers and families of offenders. Prison governors, with hopes of career advancement, may feel that they must satisfy the demands of the current party in power, which may be at odds with the requirements of other groups.

QUESTIONS

1. Explain the 'stakeholder: payers, beneficiaries or participants' relationship. Discuss how it is demonstrated in this case.

2. Identify each stakeholder as presented in the case.

3. How does prison service compare with those offered to valuable customers?

4. Offer a theory-driven analysis of the case, identifying factors and possibly underlying key issues (implications)