NCJ Number
214022
Journal
American Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 30 Issue: 2 Dated: Spring 2006 Pages: 247-266
Date Published
2006
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This article presents findings from a survey of correctional staff employed in Kentucky which analyzed predictors of job stress.
Abstract
Evidence suggests that work stress is primarily generated by organizational issues rather than time spent with inmates. Specifically, when the correctional staff has to “fake” the proper organizational response (i.e., emotional dissonance), the correctional staff experiences work stress. When correctional staff feels in conflict with their jobs and perceive little control over the tasks that they perform, work stress is the result. These results offer valuable insight into the stressful manifestation of emotional dissonance among correctional staff. Emotional dissonance, role conflict, task control, and direct contact with inmates have links with a correctional staff members’ level of work stress. However, in summary, work stress is shown to be primarily due to organizational issues, such as emotional dissonance, role conflict, and task control rather than with other inmates. Utilizing survey results gathered from correctional staff working at two medium-security prisons in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, this study sought to examine a broad range of predictors of job stress for persons working in all varieties of jobs in prisons. It also attempted to assess the possible contribution to experienced job stress by emotional dissonance, perceived organizational fairness, and the amount and type of feedback about a staff person’s job. References