Examining antecedents of corrections officers’ fear at work

A substantial body of research demonstrates the importance of perceptions of safety within the correctional setting, predicting a variety of factors such as officer retention, satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Recently, the general fear of crime literature has been extended to the institutional environment to explain antecedent predictors of correctional personnel fear at work. Both fear facilitators and inhibitors broadly characterize the antecedents, capturing both individual and environmental factors. Since officers play a critical role in shaping the institutional environment, it is vital to understand factors, institutional or individual, that impact their fear at work. Based on a sample of 603 correctional officers from five facilities with varying security levels, it was found that both personal and organizational factors shape officers’ fear at work. Specifically, staffing levels, facility characteristics, and tenure facilitated greater officer fear, while shift assignment and social closeness inhibited fear. This study demonstrates how developing social connections and acceptance may hinder fear.