Sources Of Stress In Prison Essay

Improved Essays
Three major sources of stress to the correctional officers, their impacts on the inmates, and how the correctional officers cope with their stress:
Correctional officers have been facing a lot of stress in their work due to various reasons. Three of the major sources of stress to the correction officers are: i)the harsh physical conditions of the prisons, ii)the violence which results from the inmates and iii)the tiredness which results from their difficult work. These sources of stress have had great impacts not only on the correctional officers but also to the inmates.
First, most prisons are always dirty, noisy, crowded, and has many other unfavorable conditions. These many unfavorable conditions experienced in prisons have interfered with the well-being of these prisons' staffs causing great stress to their lives (Bierie, 2012, pp. 81-95). Some of these unfavorable conditions have caused serious stress to the officers to an extent of suffering from some psychological problems. Apart from the psychological problems, poor conditions of the prisons have caused some diseases which result from sanitation problems to the
…show more content…
There are some stubborn and violent inmates who keep on harassing the other inmates or even at times try to attack the correctional officers. All of the violence they have been raising in prisons have increased the levels of stress of the correctional officers who work day and night to maintain peace and order in prisons. The violence which results from the inmates also affect the inmates themselves as some of them have been injured or some even killed by other inmates during those violent times. The tiredness of correctional officers which increases their stress levels also affect the inmates in some way. Tired and stressed correctional officers are usually very violent and ruthless when dealing with the inmates especially when the inmates

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The power of control may often change an individual’s character. Within the prison system, lies a prison guard subculture in which, the power of control is stressed. Control and power are the means of successively managing a prison. Throughout the novel New Jack: Guarding Sing Sing, author Ted Conover (2001) writes of his experience as a Correctional Officer at Sing Sing maximum-security prison. Behind the prison doors, a different world takes flight.…

    • 1385 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Super-Max Facilities

    • 921 Words
    • 4 Pages

    When prisons are over-crowded and too many offenders are housed together, it creates chaos and presents opportunities for inmates to engage in riotous and violent behavior. These highly secure correctional facilities…

    • 921 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Most people assume and think it's right, but without ever finding out. How does the police affect the everyday life of the inmates? We assumed it would be one main mentality in the jail. Usually when people are stuck together for years on years, they start to sync their thoughts and sometimes actions. In jail you see the same faces everyday and stay around the same people everyday.…

    • 435 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    He emphasizes on the negative effects of healthcare on prisoners. Also, that the international standards for prisons state to provide enough space for individuals but the system has failed to follow the requirements. Healthcare should be the main focus according to Warmsley. Prison populations need to be reduced by different strategies to improve healthcare provided.…

    • 987 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    When prisoners and guards are always around violent people in a limited space, violence is guaranteed to occur. Elizabeth Thompson who wrote “What Are the Causes of Prison Violence” said, “A lack of staff training or inexperience also results in prisoner violence. Poorly equipped staff may have trouble interacting with inmates or responding to them professionally” (Thompson). The lack of staff training can cause a guard to not know how to handle a situation and lead them from trying to help to acting violent against the prisoner. Even though these prisoners are incarcerated doesn’t mean that they are immune to…

    • 1430 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Inmates experience overcrowded bathroom facilities, reduction in shower times, and shortened meal times. Overcrowding in prisons means fewer opportunites to engage in…

    • 2582 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    California Prison Riot

    • 146 Words
    • 1 Pages

    According to US News in Susanville, California six guards had been injured at the northern California prison all regards to inmates stirring up prison riots. California Department of Correction Rehabilitation reported that an officer had been attacked by an inmate, after the altercation other inmates begin to get involved transitioning into a very huge prison riot. (Prisoner begin punching, kicking the officers, hurling food trays, or broke them over the head of staff.) Officer pulled out none deadly force to take care of the complicated issue at hand. Officer used pepper spray to calm down the riot, and get everything back under control.…

    • 146 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing La’Quashia Sallie University of North Texas The book Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing by Ted Conover illustrates the real conditions within the country correctional facilities that are mainly entrusted with the correcting and rehabilitating the individuals found capable of various crimes. The author depicts the correctional guards as inherently sadistic and uses excess authority in stamping their presence in the facilities.…

    • 1138 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Parole / Corrections Officers The American Correctional Association stated that Parole Officers or Corrections officers have one of the highest rates of nonfatal, work-related injuries compared to all of U.S. workers. Almost forty percent of injuries are a result of physical assaults, confrontations with inmates and other acts of violence. Working with recently arrested individuals, as well as people awaiting trial or already serving prison sentences, is just one part of the job for corrections officers. Their main goal to keep offenders from repeating past crimes or violating parole and ending up returning to prison.…

    • 95 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    When society thinks about police, they often imagine strong crime fighting heroes, who protect citizens and throw the bad guys in jail. However, what citizens often fail to see are the internal struggles police face every day. Mental health care and awareness in policing is extremely crucial to the field of police work. Mental health issues such as, fatigue, burnout, stress, drug and alcohol use, emotional disorders, and the increased risks of suicide can be detrimental to the way police conduct themselves and serve the public. The nature of police work requires excellent mental health, and when officer’s mental health is compromised they can lose touch with their professional and personal life (Kelley, 2005).…

    • 2255 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Prison Reform

    • 1500 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Need For Change The prison systems of the United States are not rehabilitating or changing inmates in any way. When inmates leave prison, they are not changed people. Prison systems have been used repeatedly for those who want to abuse their power as officers. This abuse shows that prisons have a high lack of care for the rehabilitation of inmates.…

    • 1500 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    There are some situations when a correctional officer have to use force on inmates who chooses not to follow the rule s of the institution and violate a correctional officer, a correction officer may use force on inmates when breaking up fights within the institution. However it is considered violent and unlawful when a correction officer uses violence beyond what is allowed by the institution. Some correctional officers believe they are in control within their section of the institution. According to the author some officers have a mindset of control and have been known to state. “The Christian in me say’s its wrong but the correction officer in me say I love to make a grown man piss on himself.”…

    • 1177 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The overcrowding causes prisons to be in poorer conditions and causes its prisoners to be in poorer health and less safer in the prison. The basic needs of the prisoners in overcrowded prisons becomes challenged as food portions have now decreased, health care needs are reduced to allocate for more prisoners, and the housing situation of the prisoners becomes overburdened and tighter in availability and comfort. Overcrowding can also cause increases in rates of violence, self-harm, suicide, and rape as prisoners become more agitated and restless due to space being overtaken with strangers and their needs being overlooked and reduced. Prisoners tend to become physical and emotional unstable as their sleep behaviors become radically altered and limited, as in overcrowded prisons the prisoners have to sleep within a rigid schedule which they would alternate throughout different times of the day. More so, some prisons have even been forced to have bunkbeds for prisoners, possibly even share beds, or they would have to sleep while standing up (www.penalreform.org)…

    • 1442 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Causes Of Prison Overcrowding

    • 1400 Words
    • 6 Pages
    • 4 Works Cited

    The judicial system was buckling down on different drug offenses such as crack-cocaine, marijuana and opium. In 1985 marijuana was marked as the nation’s “number one problem” when it came to drug abuse. More people started using excessive amounts of marijuana since there was a decriminalization law. Eventually, it reached a high of sixty-four percent; programs and treatments were brought upon such as D.A.R.E (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) and G.R.E.A.T (Gang Resistance Education and Training). These programs were not just for adults, these were mainly targeted towards the youth so they will be pushed in the right direction.…

    • 1400 Words
    • 6 Pages
    • 4 Works Cited
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    The phenomenon has increased the risk of both violence and protests in the prisons thus leading to the death and injury of productive members of the public. Prison riots cause injuries and death to both the prisoners and the citizens working in the facilities. Furthermore, the crowded facilities offer perfect training grounds for terrorism and radicalization which are the two most serious problem the country continues to face (Yousman, 2009). Prison overcrowding has increased the cost of maintaining correctional facilities in the country thus increasing the tax burden in the country. Members of the community lose valuable resources they could employ in enhance the country’s health care, education and security among…

    • 1540 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays