Performance, Transparency, and Accountability: A (De-)Responsibilization Formula for Professionals Working in Prisons

This paper explores how risk assessment shapes the practices of three professional groups working in Canadian correctional facilities. The acquisition of risk assessment techniques generally stems from managerial concerns. Performance, transparency, and customer satisfaction are among the main components supporting a remote governance within the walls, aiming, on the one hand, to manage an at-risk figure, the inmate, expected to “actively endorse” his imprisonment and, on the other hand, to make the professionals comply with measurable standards to which they are held accountable.