Correctional Officer Stress

The position of correctional officer is unique in many ways. Staff are accountable for supervising an often unwilling, hostile, and even violent population, 24 hr/7 days a week. Correctional officers are responsible for the care, custody, and control of inmates, which ultimately determines the success or failure of a correctional institution. Daily contact with offenders who have antisocial and antiauthoritative attitudes, who can be uncooperative and manipulative, who display mental and physical health problems, who participate in sexual deviancy, and who can be physically violent at any time creates an environment that is conducive to not only danger but also high anxiety and stress for correctional staff. This entry examines the unique conditions that lead to increased stress for correctional officers and its effects on ...