STRESS IN CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS

Stress in Correctional Officers

Abstract

In this study we try to explore the concept of “Correctional Officers Stress” in a holistic context. The main focus of the research is on “Correctional Officers work” and its relation with “Stress”. The research also analyzes many aspects of “Correctional Officers Job” and tries to gauge its effect on “Correctional Officers Mental health”. Finally the research describes various factors which are responsible for “Correctional Officers Stress” and tries to describe the overall effect of “Correctional Officers Work” on “Stress”.

Stress in Correctional Officers

Introduction

Correctional Officers is not a new job, it has been in practice for around past few decades which is meant to hold major wrongdoers away from the society after they have been caught by the law enforcers, the offenders who are kept in the prison cell at a Pre Trial Centre looking for their court hearing date. Correctional Officers are extremely essential element of the Justice System as it holds back high-status criminals away from the society and shut away yet prior they are proved sinless or guilty. (Belknap, 1995)

A number of studies have documented that C.O.s experience higher levels of stress than most other occupational groups (Laskey, Gordon, and Strebalus; Lindquist and Whitehead; Honnold and Stinchcomb; and Wright). There are numerous stressors in the C.O.s' work environment. They live by a macho code that requires them to be rugged individualists who can be counted upon to do their duty regardless of circumstances.

There are three levels of correctional institutions in the United States federal government, state and local. In addition, private companies and government agencies contract, to accommodate the prisoners. American Correctional Association classifies more than 3,500 identified facilities or institutions, including institutions in America the total quantity of confinement. Of prisons and prison populations in the 1990s and 2000s led to rapid expansion of a substantial increase in the labor force, correctional officers at all levels of organization. The total number of prison beds has doubled in the 20th century 90. State and federal correctional institutions of adult society and the number of constraints grew from the 1995 to1500 in2005, 17 percentage raise (Farkas, 2000). Correctional officers in these institutions, the total number from 1995's 265,201 to 347,320 in 2005, 32 percent raise. Assigned to the custody or upbringing of the number of personnel security function outnumbered other correctional staff of nearly two years in 1995 from 169,587 to 220,892 in 2005, 30 percent raise. At the federal level, 41 percent of employees were assigned to the custody or security features, at the state level, 65% are assigned to safe custody (Farkas, 2000).

Discussion and Analysis

As the main responsibility of the officers of correctional department has constantly been to preserve the security measure of the prison surroundings, variations in philosophy of correctional all over history have affected the function of the correctional officer work inside the jail. In the past few decades of 19th century, for instance, the prison was planned to detach wrongdoers from civilization and also away from the reach of ...