IN-PERSON Prague Research & Teaching Conference

Abstract

This study investigates the critical role of developing a combat mindset among prison officers before and during cell riots, emphasizing its broader educational and training implications. The research question was: To what extent is enhancing the prison officers’ combat mindset before and during cell riots vital for educational purposes? Using an autoethnographic method based upon the experiences of a prison officer handling a cell riot, the research offers firsthand insights into cognitive and physical preparation, stress management, emotional regulation, and high-pressure decision-making. Findings demonstrate that a robust combat mindset—marked by courage, determination, self-control, and controlled aggression—is essential for effectively managing disturbances while minimizing excessive force. Structured training programs with realistic, high-stress simulations are vital for fostering situational awareness, emotional resilience, and sound judgment. These findings contribute to prison officer education, emphasizing the need for mental and physical readiness training to enhance safety, professionalism, and crisis management capabilities in correctional institutions. Beyond correctional institutions, these findings are relevant to other high-stakes professions such as policing, military operations, emergency medicine, and firefighting, where decision-making under duress is critical. In these fields, mental and physical readiness training enhances operational effectiveness, ethical behavior, and crisis leadership. The study thus highlights the interdisciplinary importance of integrating psychological preparedness into professional education and continuous evaluation frameworks. A correct combat mindset is not merely a tactical necessity but a professional standard that strengthens safety, professionalism, and trust in high-risk environments.