NCJ Number
89254
Date Published
1981
Length
127 pages
Annotation
Major stressors among a sample of North Carolina corrections officers were found to be threats to the safety and job security of the officer, vagueness in role definition, unclear expectations of superiors, and rules that cannot cover many aspects of officer-inmate interaction.
Abstract
A sample of correctional officers working in medium and minimum custody facilities listed felt stressors on a worksheet containing the Selye definition of stress and 25 blank lines. The stressors obtained were condensed, placed in Likert-scale format on a questionnaire, and then presented on questionnaires to 54 correctional officers (18 from minimum custody units and 36 from medium custody units). The greatest reported problems were found to revolve around job benefits, specifically low pay, slow promotions, and not enough fringe benefits. Background factors related to the experience of stress were race and inexperience as corrections officers. Black officers and inexperienced officers tended to have more general stress on the job. Some of the stressors could be relieved through a revision of the basic training curriculum, the provision of management skills training for supervisors, and a formulation of a clearer definition of the role of a correctional officer and of the sanctions for failing to fulfill it. Further, counseling resources should be provided for staff, and occupational status should be enhanced through higher pay and more responsibility. Stress awareness classes should also be resumed. Particular attention should be given to training black, inexperienced officers in dealing with stress and the factors contributing to it. Tabular data and 63 bibliographic entries are provided, along with an appendix containing the study instrument and supplementary data.