Introduction
Stress is tension in a person’s mind or any part of the body, which is as a result of physical, chemical or emotional factors. Research studies have shown that, there are numerous stressors in the corrections officer’s (C.O.) working environment, that is, in the jails and prisons. This correctional work is a highly stressful occupation and usually affects the health of correction officers, a costly factor which may be related to lack of efficiency in institutions as seen with increased hospital leaves /stress and safety (Casey, Dollard and Winefield, 2001).
The environment that they live in puts them in awkward position (rugged individualists who must carry out their duties in shifts at whichever prevailing circumstances). Consequently, in the prison setup correctional officers are supposed to carry out their duties independently, and should only seek help from the management when totally necessary to do so, for instance, in cases of attempted escape, riots among others.
These working conditions expose the correction officers to high stress levels as they play their role in this unpredictable working environment. In addition, C.O.’s are usually subjected to a lot of structural stressors due to their poor association with the management, low salaries, poor and inadequate training, lack of well established policies and procedures, poor communication with the management and lack of decentralization in decision making as far as their working environment is concerned (Philliber).
These incorporate varied gender differences in stress perception, for instance, sexual harassment to the workers coupled with poor integration between different genders in correction officers. This has led to the development of a special program designed to help in prevention and treatment of stress in these corrections officers’.
Abstract
This paper analyses the effective ways that can be implemented by the administrators for the prevention and treatment of the stress affecting correction officers. The institutions of rehabilitation (also may be referred as prisons), have become the homes of thousands of inmates who have mental disorders and therefore has been seen as social wrongdoers. The document discusses and briefly defines the causes of correction officers’ stress, their consequences to the individual and institutions and, how the management of these organizations should improvise ways of avoiding the occurrence of the vice.
The development of extreme stress in the working areas of prisons may cause illness or even morbidity among these individuals, leading to this being manifested in a more severe consequence and more disruptive behavior such as brutality and alcoholism. The convicts require to be given a multidisciplinary treatment team that includes correctional officers assisting in observations as well as interventions, and they should play an exceptional role on these specialized housing units.
To achieve symbiotic relationship between these two groups, it is necessary that correctional officers and treatment teams develop a foundation of mutual respect amongst themselves, shared training, and continuing communication and teamwork. While taking these into consideration, the correctional officers are expected to assist the treatment team through making significant and productive contributions to the evaluation and management of those offenders with mental disorders.
Causes of stress for the correction officers
Correction officers are faced with different stress, and usually this is related to their working environment and sometimes from external forces. Therefore, it is good to discuss the main causes of this stress as they may lead to harmful effects to the health of these people and thus poor performance of the entire institution. As noted by Pollock (2005) stress is categorized into two: internal (organizational stress) and external (stress from outside) causes.
Organizational stress originate from within the organization (internal), since in the prisons and jails there are two groups of people; the prisoners are kept indoors but do not want to be there and the correction officers are there to make sure the prisoners are within, thereby developing organization stress. This is because the correction officers are seen by the detainees as the main barriers to their freedom/desires developing a form of built-in tension and manipulation causing stress to the correction officers.
This is usually complemented by the poor living conditions and work shifts, overtime and unreasonable supervisor demands. Correction officers’ treatment of violence-causing convicts (to other inmates and correction officers), inmate demands and incitements in addition to other conflicts with stressed co-workers further worsen the stress levels. The management usually puts unrealistic demands to the officers on their jobs, a factor that puts the officers on high risks.
On the other hand, outside organization stress (which is also referred as external stress) arises from poor public image, as portrayed by the media where the correction officers are seen as animalistic, stupid on the way they treat the inmates and senseless abusers of the social wrongdoers in the manner they discipline the prisoners. Contrary to the beliefs of these correction officers on instilling discipline to the inmates, they are seen as people who beat and mistreat the inmates leading to some officers feeling isolated from the society (including the friends and family) plus fear to specify their specific jobs.
The other cause of the external stress is poor payment, whereby the officers are usually underpaid as compared to other departments a factor which gives them a very low morale thus developing economic stress. They feel inferior due to their social economic status since the poor pay subjects them to low standards of living, a thing that further evokes personal stress. They hold the view that they are not acceptable in the society following the nature of their work, a thing that makes them continue leading a stressful life (Camp and Camp).
The consequences of correction officers stress
Stress is manifested in two major ways, that is, either organizational consequences or individual consequences. First on reviewing the organizational consequences of stress it is shown that it causes increased turnover of the employee, decreased efficiency and productivity of the workers, increased rates of absenteeism and there is reported increase in the acquisition of sick leaves, and inflated health-care costs and disability payments (Patterson).
This greatly affects the smooth way of carrying out duties in organization. As a result of stress some correction officers respond by enhancement of brutality to the inmates and corruption thereby translating to a decline in the overall efficiency in these institutions. Due to this the efficiency and the productivity of the institution reduce further spoiling the perception of the prisons, and thus blackmailing the already tainted image of these correction facilities and their officers.
The other cause of correction officers’ stress is manifested in the individual trait/behavior and health. This is clearly depicted in the form of consequences of stress, which includes; strong feelings of hostility and isolation, feeling of no use to the family, helplessness and estrangement; symptoms of poor health manifests through physical symptoms such as, headaches, high blood pressure, and ulcers (Cornelius); this results to increased divorce rates following the untrustworthy affairs; in addition to escalating rates in social vices for instance, alcoholism, suicide, and heart ailments. The general health is compromised leading to decreased life expectancy of those officers in the correction and rehabilitation field. Stress impairs the health of these officers; they become unhappy, suffer heart ailments and develop eating disorders.
Ways of avoiding and dealing with correction officers stress
Correctional and rehabilitation centers’ management has responded to these consequences of correction officers’ stress, by seeking to recruit and retain officers who show psychological resources to handle the stress encountered in the working environment of their institutions. Rigorous interviews, psychological testing and background checks characterize the applied methods in the selection of these officers. The successful candidates should consequently be subjected into a complete and lengthy probation period of ten full months as part of entry level requirement before being officially recruited to a permanent job within the correctional facility (Camp and Camp, p. 146).
Correction officers are expected to undergo standardized training at a correctional training academy under the guidance of well qualified instructors who will provide written examination, oral instruction, as well as application of the techniques acquired while in probation period. This should aim at training curriculums which are designed to provide trainees with the knowledge necessary to become a human services–oriented professional who can assist social wrongdoers who face various challenges of incarceration and preparation for return to the society.
Developed curriculums (for both the officers and management team) should offer instructions in diverse areas such as: self-confident techniques, good interpersonal relations and communications; positive professional image; observation skills development; prison subcultures; convicts classification; corrections legal aspects; disciplinary procedures amongst prisoners; stress and security awareness, prevention of fire; control of the aggressive behaviors of prisoners; sensitivity in culture; disaster preparedness; report writing on HIV; convicts suicide; problems in special behavior; mentally disturbed convicts & principles of control; essential defensive tactics; typical first aid; baton use; training on how to use arsenals; drug campaign and awareness; search procedures; restraining convicts; inmate transportation procedures; and lastly weapon maintenance and cleaning.
Additionally, curriculums in these training institutions should focus on the folowing; sensitivity in culture, ethical behavior, and diversity courses awareness with an aim of assisting the correction officers in adapting to this increasingly multi-cultured work environment. It is a requirement in the state correctional systems that officers participate annually (for at least forty-two hours), as form of in-service training aimed at helping them uphold high levels of ethical behavior and professional efficiency, a thing that strengthens the ability of officers in coping with this stress associated (Camp and Camp, p. 147).
Institutional management are practicing participatory management style that centers in emphasizing workers empowerment via input solicitation and shared decision-making (decentralization of decision making), formal mentoring programs and unit management (Cushman and Sechrest; Freeman). As compared to the traditional autocratic management style, this style boosts the levels of job satisfaction among officers thus higher motivation in their workstations (Duffee, 1989).
With the increasingly sophisticated training and management philosophies officers stands a chance of becoming adequately prepared in ways relating on how to manage stresses that appears to be part and parcel of their career. These rehabilitation and correction officers can also play an important role in intervening and solving matters involving inmates who have mental disorders. It is no doubt that, the now knowledgeable and concerned officer will aid a psychologically impaired convict through offering necessary support, for instance, giving ideas to these social offenders and help them meet the demands of the correctional environment.
The convicts should be enforced by the officers to attend to appointments relating mental health; encourage them to comply with prescribed medication in addition to informing the management staff whenever convicts fail to complete the required medications. Whereas outpatients in community settings have caring family and friends to help them, inmates may only have a supportive officer to turn to.
Conclusions
Correctional officers in our modern prison institutions can be seen as key valuable players in the precious role of delivery in multidisciplinary mental health services and rehabilitation mentorship in jails and prisons. Correction and clinical officers share common goals regardless of the differences in their training, mission and training. It has been revealed that safety of rehabilitation and correction environment and quality treatment efficacy progress when clinical and correctional officers mutually share the right information in efforts aimed at assisting in the management of mentally disturbed inmates.
However, the success of this endeavor is dependent on mutual respect, appropriate training and orientation, continued cordial relations and cooperation among other factors. Therefore the society has to appreciate and understand the rehabilitation work done by these officers in this vital correctional institution, especially in changing the image as viewed by the media.
References
Catholic Diocese of Orlando, Effects of Stress on Corrections Officers-Criminal Office Justice article (2008). Web.
Joycelyn M. Pollock. Prisons: Today and Tomorrow, Edition 2-Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2005. Web.
Mark Smith. (1995), Issues Specific to Correctional Officers. Web.
National Institute of Justice (U.S), the Department of Criminal Justice, Addressing Correctional Officer Stress-programs and strategies (2000). Web.