Social Work Captured by COVID-19: The Case of Programmes for Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners

Jiri Mertl

Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The study is aimed at analysing the COVID-19 pandemic and measurements the Czech Government took to contain the infection in context of social work and counselling with inmates and ex-prisoners. THEORETICAL BASE: The theory of the study is based on slowly emerging studies from other social and political contexts. Critical social work and critical criminology were employed throughout the study. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews with social workers providing social services in the field were conducted as well as consequent qualitative content analysis of the responses. OUTCOMES: The Pandemic and measurement greatly influenced social services and counselling provided in the field, especially regarding the lockdown of prisons; the replacement of personal contact with clients with an impersonal (distance) substitutions was also a consequence as well as the ethical and professional dilemmas that social workers needed to deal with during those times. SOCIAL WORK IMPLICATIONS: The values and culture of organisations providing services in the field are set up well, as the organisations strived to not limit their services and even to extend and adapt them to the circumstances. Thus, the study contributes to the debate on whether social workers were “proper” members of the socalled “front line” of responders. Also, in some cases, the situation improved trust between prisons and their personnel on one side, and organisations on the other, which could be a positive signal for the future.

Keywords
COVID-19, critical criminology, critical social work, prisons, re-entry

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