Abstract This paper presents an in-depth review of literature looking at the effects and causes of stress among correctionalofficers. The paper examines literature discussing the theories of stress and burnout, stress among correctionalofficers, effects of stress on correctionalofficers, job satisfaction and turnover among correctionalofficers.
From the Paper "Specifically, this chapter will include theories of stress and burnout, stress among correctional officers, effects of stress on correctional officers, job satisfaction and turnover among correctional officers and a summary of the chapter. Job related stress has been associated with a vast array of physical diseases and psychological disorders and has been..."
Abstract This paper highlights the challenges that correctionsofficers often encounter in their jobs. The author provides a definition of the primary duty of correctionsofficers according to the U.S. Department of Labor and explores the job satisfaction one can derive from this position. The physical and emotional criterion for the position of a correctionsofficer is likewise briefly described. Additionally, the paper discusses how the financial limitations of an institution's budget can lead to understaffed prisons and very overworked officers, citing Alabama and Florida as examples.
Outline:
Job Satisfaction of CorrectionsOfficers Job Outlook
Financial Issues
Impact of Financially-Focused Course
Works Cited
From the Paper "According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the primary duty of corrections officers is to perform the often-stressful work of overseeing individuals who have been arrested and are awaiting trial or who have been convicted of a crime and are sentenced to serve time in a jail, reformatory, or penitentiary. Corrections officers are in charge of monitoring prisoner behavior, ensuring that prisoners do not engage in physical or verbal intimidation in their interactions with one another, or continue their criminal activities behind bars. Officers may also supervise inmates' visits with friends or family members."
Abstract The paper presents arguments regarding the morality and legality of the death penalty and argues briefly for its continued presence within the fabric of the contemporary United States justice system. The paper examines the enforcement of the death penalty in the different states and reasons for its use. The paper demonstrates the importance of maintaining the deterrence of correctionalofficers who face the risk of murder from incarcerated inmates.
Outline:
Overview
The Death Penalty in the United States
Reasons for the Death Penalty
Why CorrectionalOfficers in Prison are Analogous to Police Officers Conclusion
From the Paper "The U.S. Constitution forbids cruel and unusual punishment. What constitutes cruel and unusual punishment is a subjective idea, and has evolved over the course of world and American history, both legally and in terms of public opinion. The appropriateness of punishment is something that evolves in dialogue with the law courts of the land and also in terms of what people believe is fair punishment. At present, the U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed the constitutionality of the death penalty, provided that it is enforced in a fair and equitable manner, and the majority of the United States citizenry has supports the death penalty. Support is growing, rather than sinking. "Support reached an all-time low of 42% in 1966. Throughout the 70s and 80s, the percentage of Americans in favor of the death penalty increased steadily, culminating in an 80% approval rating in 1994"."
Abstract This paper discusses the difficulties when working in a correctional institution. Correctionalofficers are in daily contact with murders, rapists and other violent offenders. It is often necessary for such facilities to expand, or to bring in more inmates, simply because of the nature of today's society. The paper reports that these needs put increased pressure on an already strained support system. Correctionalofficers are often underpaid and turnover can be high in correctional facilities. Desert View Modified Community Correctional Institute has such a need to expand; however, the high rate of turnover among the correctionalofficers, in conjunction with the difficulty in hiring new officers, makes it difficult to maintain the staff needed for such an expansion. Such difficulty would make an expansion difficult and unsafe for the community.
Abstract The paper discusses how the basis for wages relies on governmental hierarchy, which depends on the various statewide funding for prisons where correctionalofficers are employed. The paper states that California has the most correctional workers of all the states, while also having the highest wages offered. However, the problem of supply in an increasing variety of private prisons has made wages low due to a lack of union controls to create better wage conditions.
From the Paper "In this law enforcement study, the wages of a correctional officer will be determined through the various methods used to calculate supply and demand for this position. By understanding the different dangers and responsibilities in hierarchical rank and positioning within a law enforcement environment, one can realize the differing wages that are given to different employees. In essence, the difference in correctional officer wages relies on the internal structure of the rank involved and the responsibility associated with the dangers within the job requirements. By observing the highest rank of correctional officer in the managerial role, one can then realize how the lower ranks are judged according to wages within the California correctional facility. The issue of rank within the Federal and State systems of correctional law enforcement is a major factor, but is not wholly responsible for the differing wages given to these officers."
Abstract The paper contends that correctional facilities do not work as intended. In part, this failure could be blamed on prison overcrowding. The paper explains that related to this issue is that of insufficient coverage by correctionalofficers. A third potentially related issue is the failure of our correctional facilities lack of funding to provide adequate room and personnel to oversee all prisoners in the system. The paper considers that a solution to this problem would seem twofold.
From the Paper "Additional beds are needed to house inmates produced by current sentencing guidelines. In addition, additional funding in the system would assist both with the housing and the personnel coverage. It has been suggested in the past that privatization of the correctional system would be of assistance with both issues. For that reason, this suggested design will be intended to address these needs with a facility built using private funds. Privatizing correctional facilities is not new."
Abstract Correctionofficers face many job demands that create tension in the workplace and in other areas of their lives. Stress stems from many sources, including the constant threat of physical violence, and tensions with co-workers. This paper explores sources of job stress and various methods for combating job stress among correctionsofficers. It supports the thesis that physical exercise plays a major role in the reduction of stress among correctionofficers in the Attica Prison in New York. It also suggests steps that can be taken to increase physical activity and reduce stress among corrections at this facility.
Outline:
Benefits to the Facility
Impact of Stress on CorrectionOfficers Sources of Stress for CorrectionOfficers A Review of Current Stress Management Strategies
Critical Incident Stress Management Team
Stress Reduction and Exercise
Conclusions and Recommendations
From the Paper "A comparison of various programs across the United States revealed that in most cases, these services are provided in-house. Only a small number contract these services from outside the facility (Finn, 2000). New York State has a Stress Debriefing Team which consists of officer peers available to law enforcement and correction officers that experience a critical incident (Finn, 2000). This program includes debriefing by peers for the officer and referral to EAP in some cases (Finn, 2000). The program is available to family members and civilians that are close to the situation. No budget is provided for this program. Officers staff it themselves on a voluntary basis. "
Abstract Traditional facilities organize their inmates according to those who need maximum, medium, and minimum security. This paper explains that there has been a new trend in correctional organizations that is called "direct supervision", which allows correctionalofficers to interact directly with inmates, thus allowing officers to manage inmates" behavior at a much more detailed level. This paper examines the benefits and shortcomings of this practice.
From the Paper "Direct supervision can be distinguished from other management approaches in a few ways. First, the setting is different from traditional jail facilities. Inmates under direct supervision live in cells that are arranged around a common area, often called a pod or a day room. In this room, there is no secure control booth for the supervising officer, and there are no physical barriers between the officer and the inmates. While the officer might have a table or desk reserved for paperwork, it is still within the open area of the day room (National Institute of Corrections). This setting might establish a sense of trust and a slight feeling of freedom among the inmates. Thus, if inmates have this sense of freedom, they might be less likely to misbehave."
Abstract This paper will discuss the book "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover and uncover the character development that unfolds in his role as a correctionalofficer in prison. By understanding this culture, we can the main elements of prison life from the view of a prison guard. The culture of the correctional will be discussed, as well as a point of view on the state of importation vs. deprivation model used by prisons within the book.
Abstract In this article the writer notes that the issue of staff-on-inmate sexual misconduct remains a prevalent problem within the United States correctional system. The writer points out that there is a vast amount of research on the topic that has triggered the passage of new laws as well as placed a greater focus on the need for correctional facility officials and the Department of Justice to take actions to put an end to the abuse. The writer offers solutions to this increasing problem. The writer concludes that it appears that correctional administration and prison staff clearly have their work cut out for them if they want to achieve a safer and fairer modern correctional system.
From the Paper "Although somewhat recognized as a problem, sexual abuse within the prison system did not seem to occur as frequently as the later research tends to reveal. For example, by the early 1980s, it became increasingly noticeable that sexual abuse by those in a supervisory type position tended to be strategic, and that such formulations implied the presence of cognitive processes that allow offenders to simultaneously overcome their own inhibitions and the resistance of the victim. Ferund was among the first to explicitly acknowledge the role of cognition in explaining sexual abuse. He argued that sexual offenders had to overcome both internal and external inhibitions as well as the resistance of the victim in order for abuse to occur. According to his research, these offenders had to find a way to avoid taking responsibility for or to deny the harmfulness of behaviors that they would otherwise recognize as abusive. In general, researchers theorized that prison guards idealized the fact that they were in control over an unworthy population, and that such cruel treatment as sexual abuse was deserved by this population."
Discussing how the concept of corrective affliction affects the protagonist in the novel "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Anne Bradstreet's poem, "The Author to My Book" .
Abstract This paper looks at how the works "The Scarlet Letter" and "The Author to Her Book" provide a good definition of corrective afflictions. When thinking in terms of how the theme of corrective afflictions is present in the novel and the poem, one could define it as placing someone into a position of pain to correct some sort of sin that one has committed. This paper looks at how this concept influences the main characters of these writings.
From the Paper "There are many corrective afflictions given to both Anne and Hester. Hester and ?the ill formed offspring,?(140) are the children who display these corrective afflictions to their mothers. God placed all of Hester and Anne's corrective afflictions upon them, in order to fix pieces of their lives that seemed to be broken. Both Anne Bradstreet and Hester Prynne walk through life with challenges that appear dismal, having thoughts of there being no chance for happiness. Through the afflictions given to the mothers from the children, and the abnormalities that the mother's must respond to, there are lessons for Anne and Hester to learn from Pearl and the ?ill formed offspring.? Yet, the afflictions are adherent to the fact that it will make their lives seemingly complete. The corrective afflictions change Hester and Anne's perception from their lives being utterly worthless, to wanting to make their lives one with the righteous of heart and soul."
Abstract This paper explains that, using sales volume, Office Depot is the largest retail office products business in the world with more than 1,100 stores in 14 countries, with each store carrying, on average, 7,900 products. The author relates that Office Depot offers a wide range of products including general office supplies, office furniture and some business services. The paper points out that the company utilizes
three business segments to sell its products and services to individual consumers and businesses: North American Retail, Business Services Group and International.
From the Paper "When comparing sales volume, Office Depot is the largest retail office products business in the world. They have more than 1,100 stores in 14 countries, with each store carrying, on average, 7,900 products ("Office Depot", 2005). Office Depot offers a wide range of products. These include: general office supplies, office furniture, and some business services. The company utilizes three business segments to sell its products and services to individual consumers and businesses, North American Retail, Business Services Group and International ("Datamonitor: Office Depot", 2005). Society/Subcultures: Society and the subcultures within society affect Office Depot's performance and success. Office Depot is a global company, with facilities in 14 countries. For this reason, they must adjust their business processes to meet the specific needs of these diverse cultures, for both their consumers and their workforce."
Abstract The paper explains the origin of the non-commissioned officers (NCO) corps of the U.S. Army and outlines the nine categories of NCOs from corporal to command sergeant major. The paper relates that NCOs have the feel of the "pulse of the unit" because they work closely with the enlisted personnel. The paper also relates that the officers rely on the NCOs to get things done and maintain discipline among the troops. In addition, the paper asserts that even if the ultimate command and responsibility rests with the officer, the officer should heed the counsel of the NCOs.
From the Paper "The Officers Corps of the United States Army or any military establishment for that matter is known as the "brain of the organization." It is where leadership and command responsibility at its ultimate is exemplified. Be it the lowliest officer candidate to the general officer, officers form the core not only of leadership and command but the overall management of the military structure as well. At the bottom rung of the "totem pole" are the enlisted personnel who form the bulk of the army or military organization."
Abstract This paper talks about how the role of corrections has changed since the 1960?s. The focus is mainly on community-based corrections.
From the Paper " The poverty programs of the 1960's which failed to win the war on poverty but made strong impressions on the Nation, are of particular importance for corrections. The ideology underlying those programs suggested that persons of minority origin and low socio-economic status systematically are denied access to higher status in American society. They are persistently over represented among those who experience mental and physical illness, educational failure, unemployment, and crime and delinquency. Programs that attacked such systematic exclusion from higher status used varied techniques. emphasis on cultural awareness attempted to promote dignity and pride among minority groups, inserted minority history into America's records, and resulted in new group cohesion, political clout, and often militant reactions with newly discovered strength."
Abstract This paper focuses on privatization of policing and corrections, providing a history of privatization. Particular attention is given to bounty hunter abuses and the state of privatized correctional facilities, which is supported by research and an interview with a consultant to a California state senator.
From the Paper "Privatization is the opposite of going public, which is the direction that many of our criminal justice agencies are heading toward. Privatization of policing and corrections are particular areas that have been experimenting with going private. Public agencies have been relying on private policing and correctional corporations to cut costs for services that state and federal agencies feel they cannot handle. There is an economic tug of war between politicians who are out to save money and eliminate state and federal spending abuses, while state and federal employees, particularly unions, are opposed. They believe that this cannot be achieved without reducing the quality of service and the elimination of much needed state and federal jobs. While these private companies are sometimes able to save money for state and federal agencies who are not able to provide these services in a way that is economically feasible, the officers who are losing jobs are up in arms."
Tags:corrections, policing, privatization, police, violence, crime, incarcination, prison, federal
