Correctional Officer Stress: The Effects of Supervising Mentally Ill Inmates

The work of correctional officers goes unnoticed and unappreciated even though the job is one of the most stressful and dangerous in the United States and worldwide (Pittaro, 2017). Correctional officers work with a population that has proven their propensity to commit offenses against others, such as assaults, rapes, and murders. Officers are on constant alert for threatened or realized personal attacks. Witnessing daily violence and mayhem causes work stress and adversity experienced by no other occupation, yet correctional officers’ occupation lacks research concerning stress on officers and how that stress negatively affects inmate supervision (Lambert et al., 2018). Without research, training and support programs for stress reduction are ineffective, as they are not evidence-based or specific. The purpose of this study is to fill the gap in the literature as it pertains to how correctional officers perceive and experience stress from supervising mentally ill inmates. The measure of the research for this study will be analyzed using phenomenological methodology with thematic analysis to examine and reflect on the commonalities of correctional officers’ experiences while supervising mentally ill inmates. This project will utilize qualitative research methods consisting of surveys for 20 correctional officers conducted anonymously at the Chatham County, Georgia, Detention Center. Data analysis will be conducted using qualitative data analysis software (QDAS). Because the current research will base the findings on personal responses, surveys will provide the most efficient gathering of the information needed.