Examining Correctional Officers’ Fear of Victimization by Inmates: The Influence of Fear Facilitators and Fear Inhibitors

Abstract

Perceptions of fear in the correctional literature typically seek to predict factors such as procedural justice, turnover, and satisfaction rather than identify the antecedents to fear. In addition, studies on perceptions of safety consistently uncover female officers reporting higher levels of fear. The current study applies the concepts of fear facilitators and inhibitors, found in the general fear of crime literature, as a mechanism to explain perceptions of emotional and cognitive fear among correctional officers with a focus on differences between males and females. The study examines 40 institutions and 901 correctional officers to investigate theoretical, institutional, and individual predictors of correctional officer perceptions of inmate fear. Results show the predictors of fear differ between males and females and also demonstrate the importance of fear facilitators, individual characteristics, and institutional factors for determining emotional and cognitive fear.Researchers have long acknowledged the precarious nature of the correctional workplace (Sykes, 1958). Correctional officers are tasked with maintaining order when they are vastly outnumbered, surrounded by men and women convicted of crimes, and

Exploring the Correlates of Perceived Job Dangerousness Among Correctional Staff at a Maximum Security Prison

“…The latter suggests that once workplace factors are taken into account, personal characteristics do not play as great a role in predicting perceived risk of danger on the job. The present study revealed higher perceptions of danger among nonWhites, which is consistent with prior research examining perception of fear of victimization (see Gordon & Baker, 2015;Gordon et al, 2013;Stichman & Gordon, 2015;Taxman & Gordon, 2009). This held only for the entire sample of correctional staff; the race variable was not significant for the subset of custody officers or among non-custody staff, but it did come close to statistical significance.…”

“…The impact of such relationships on the daily work environment, retention of correctional staff, and the climate and culture of the institutional environment is commonly investigated (Cullen et al, 1985; Dowden & Tellier, 2004; Griffin, 2001; Lambert, Cluse-Tolar, & Hogan, 2007; Lambert, Hogan, & Barton, 2002; Stichman & Gordon, 2015; Taxman & Gordon, 2009). Understanding the correlates of correctional staff perceptions on the dimension of workplace well-being or possible victimization by inmates is emerging in the literature (Gordon & Baker, 2015; Gordon et al, 2003; Gordon et al, 2013; Lai et al, 2012; Stichman & Gordon, 2015; Taxman & Gordon, 2009).…”

“…Although we have some indication of how danger, actual or perceived, influences other predictors such as stress, perceived organizational fairness, and commitment, the current literature has not adequately explored the correlates of perceived danger. There is, however, limited information regarding the correlates of the similar, but distinct, concept of perceived risk of victimization by inmates among correctional staff (see Gordon & Baker, 2015; Gordon et al, 2013; Lai et al, 2012; Stichman & Gordon, 2015; Taxman & Gordon, 2009); hence, the present study was undertaken to explore this gap in knowledge.…”

Does Work Stress Change Personalities? Working in Prison as a Personality-Changing Factor Among Correctional Officers

“…The crowdedness of the prison setting, its noises, and its typical odors (Crewe, 2011; Haney, 2006), as well as the frequent emotional encounters with inmates, bring the new officers into an unfamiliar, frightening, and threatening reality that requires rapid adjustment and specific modes of action (Gordon & Baker, 2015). Although various studies have revealed a link (causal or correlative) between the prison environment and high levels of mental and emotional distress (i.e., depression, loneliness, anxiety, etc.…”

Factores asociados al estrés laboral en policías penitenciarios costarricenses

“…Por lo tanto, como las mujeres son una parte considerable de la fuerza de trabajo, es importante revelar si hay alguna diferencia entre los oficiales de sexo femenino y masculino cuando se trata de estrés laboral. Pocos estudios han explorado disparadores de estrés laboral en oficiales penitenciarios (Campbell & Henderson, 2016;Finney et al, 2013;Gordon & Baker, 2015;Misis et al, 2013;Steiner & Wooldredge, 2015;Tenibiaje, 2013), y no se ha podido encontrar ningún estudio previo que haya examinado a oficiales en Costa Rica para ese propósito. Por lo tanto, el propósito de este estudio es establecer si una muestra de oficiales penitenciarios en Costa Rica presenta estrés laboral e identificar qué factores están relacionados con su presencia.…”