Correctional Staff: The Issue of Job Stress

Understanding Needs, Breaking Down Barriers: Examining Mental Health Challenges and Well-Being of Correctional Staff in Ontario, Canada

“…Respondents indicate that both correctional staff and the employer need to have more recognition of staff mental health needs, particularly in the context of the occupational nuances of the job. Especially when one takes into consideration how dynamic relationships between supervisors and staff in correctional settings inform whether job-related stress is reduced ( Lambert et al, 2009 ; Lambert and Hogan, 2018 ), our respondents mirror similar concerns toward the respect (or perceived lack thereof) they receive while they are working. Other participants expressed a need for further awareness of their own personal state of mental health, while at the same time reporting perceiving inadequate access to support and time for self-care.…”

“…Supervision and relationship quality between supervisors and staff too have been positively correlated with job stress ( Lambert et al, 2009 ; Lambert and Hogan, 2018 ). In France, for example, prison staff who were victims of prisoner perpetrated violence and who had also experienced high levels of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, stress, intrusion, avoidance, and hyper-reactivity were evidenced at increased risk for developing post-traumatic stress disorder ( Boudoukha et al, 2013 ).…”

Assessing Relative Stressors and Mental Disorders among Canadian Provincial Correctional Workers

“…Previous researchers have implicated role problems, supervision, work-family conflict, fear of victimization, and exposure to workplace violence as commonly analyzed occupational stressors [ 21 ]; nevertheless, the conceptualization and measurement of independent stressor variables, as well as the number of variables included for analyses, have varied considerably in datasets from CWs. The absent data has obfuscated attempts to understand the relative impact of stressors on mental health [ 22 ], despite the emphasized need for clarity [ 21 ].…”

“…Correctional scholars have differentiated role conflict, role ambiguity, and role overload [ 21 ]. Role conflict can result from the duality inherent in expectations that employees will meet both the security needs of an institution and the rehabilitation needs of prisoners [ 23 ].…”

“…Role conflict can result from the duality inherent in expectations that employees will meet both the security needs of an institution and the rehabilitation needs of prisoners [ 23 ]. Role ambiguity refers to uncertainty regarding how to perform one’s role or what tasks the role encompasses [ 21 , 23 ]. Role overload captures the tension and stress that can arise from too high a workload [ 21 ].…”