Job Stress among Jail Correctional Officers

In view of what is known about job stress §among prison correctional officers, and the §differences between jails and prisons, this study §sought to augment the literature on the interaction §between the jail correctional officer and the §environment. In particular, this study focused on §the impact of stressors on correctional officers §working in the jail setting. These stressors are §divided into three broad areas and include: §individual level factors (gender, perceptions of the §job as dangerous, role problems, correctional §experience, and education), organizational level §factors (administrative strengths, job conditions, §supervisory support, peer support, staffing, §overtime, shift work, and job satisfaction), and §jail features (inmate supervision style, jail unit, §training, and overcrowding). The data were collected §using a survey instrument that was sent to 25 jails, §which employ 2188 correctional officers. The data §were analyzed using multivariate quantitative §methods. The results of the analyses are presented, §and based on the findings, strategies for reducing §job stress among jail correctional officers §are suggested.