Munca asistenţilor sociali din penitenciarele din România în timpul pandemiei Covid-19 [The Work of Social Workers in Romanian Penitentiaries, during the Covid-19 Pandemic]

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major changes in the functioning of prison institutions. Both inmates and prison staff have exposed themselves to risks (Gonçalves et al., 2023). Preventive measures such as quarantine, suspension of visitation rights and isolation of inmates in cells have contributed to the prevention and control of SARS-CoV-2 disease in prisons (Hernando et al., 2023). The article presents the perspectives of social workers in Romanian penitentiaries on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on activities with incarcerated individuals, based on qualitative research. The findings indicate that while the National Penitentiary Administration (ANP) implemented effective measures to reduce infection spread, these measures negatively affected individual security, interpersonal relationships, and professional cooperation. The limitation of communication and interactions between inmates and between inmates and specialists led to increased alertness and professional fatigue.


Keywords: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, qualitative research, perspective of social workers, sanitary safety measures, limited interactions, uncertainties, professional fatigue