NCJ Number
212778
Journal
Journal of Crime and Justice Volume: 28 Issue: 2 Dated: 2005 Pages: 1-26
Date Published
2005
Length
26 pages
Annotation
This study examined whether job satisfaction and occupational stressors had any impact on the life satisfaction of correctional staff.
Abstract
Life satisfaction is an important topic in the field of corrections. Correctional institutions need well-balanced and satisfied employees, and job satisfaction, and occupational stress are two parts of the equation that aid in determining life satisfaction. To determine whether work helps shape correctional staff life satisfaction an exploratory study was conducted examining the effects of job satisfaction, work-family conflict, job stress, role stress, and dangerousness on life satisfaction. A survey was administered to correctional staff at a Midwestern State maximum correctional institution. The results provide support for the Spillover Theory that what happens at work appears to be related to satisfaction with life. Job satisfaction not only had a significant effect on life satisfaction, but it had the largest impact of all the variables in the model. With these results, there is support for the position that improving the job satisfaction of correctional staff will have direct effects at work, as well as improving the quality of life for staff overall. The results suggest that the effects of job satisfaction and occupational stressors spillover outside work. Tables, notes, references and appendix