Post by Spinaris on Apr 1, 2009 23:07:07 GMT -5
When it comes to work-related stress, research is clear about a job that is by far one of the toughest in America today—corrections. Correctional officers (COs) face unbelievable amounts of adversity on the job, often daily. Their jobs are toxic on many levels, with very few, if any, antidotes to the negativity of the workplace.
COs seem to mostly "fly below the radar." Even when we meet COs at Wal-Mart, at church or at community festivals, we seldom really understand them. COs may be the least appreciated and least recognized branch of law enforcement. Most of us do not know the challenges COs encounter in their interactions with inmates, administration and peers. And most of us are unaware of the impact of the work-related stress on their relationships, not to mention the toll it all takes on their physical, psychological and spiritual health. Even COs’ significant others are often in the dark about the struggles that come with the career. COs tend to hold it all in, not wishing to upset or burden loved ones with their problems.
Perhaps many of us do not know—and do not want to know—about prison work. For us, out of sight is out of mind, and that’s the way we want it when it comes to criminals. Maybe COs are tainted in our minds by association—whoever deals with inmates becomes shadowy too. Moreover, the media often tend to stereotype COs negatively, portraying them as brutal and blood-thirsty "knuckle-dragging Neanderthals." So some of us recoil from COs when we encounter them, assuming and imagining the worst about them.
And yet, COs are men and women who, unarmed and vastly outnumbered, risk their lives daily while managing some of the most dangerous people in the nation. Police officers and sheriff’s deputies take offenders off the street. COs have the duty of keeping offenders incarcerated until they have paid their debt and are deemed safe to return to society. COs work to ensure that offenders serve their sentences safely, without harming or being harmed by other inmates. Other correctional staff, such as teachers, assist in the rehabilitation of offenders to facilitate a better future after their release.
To appreciate the value of COs, imagine if no one was willing to work in corrections. Imagine if offenders roamed free of the control of the criminal justice system! Scary thought!
What are some of the stressors COs encounter? The most obvious are safety threats due to violent and abusive inmates. Psychological and physical trauma is a common occurrence in prison settings. Encounters with evil, witnessing or enduring assaults with deadly weapons, feces and body fluid attacks, hatred, vile verbal abuse, harassment, and "mind" games are but a sampling of what COs, understaffed and overloaded, face daily on the job.
In addition, COs operate in a confining, highly structured and rigid paramilitary environment with multitudes of rules and regulations. COs often come to see themselves as insignificant and easily replaceable cogs in a gigantic wheel. Following orders becomes the focus. Staff relationships and character development suffer. Personal input and initiative are practically nonexistent for those at lower ranks. Opportunities for advancement may be slim.
The prevailing atmosphere inside a prison can become one of danger, mistrust, powerlessness, disrespect, alienation and meaninglessness. The level of frustration can be so high that staff ends up snarling at one another, venting their anger on each other, criticizing and blaming one another. And when they go home they take their irritability with them. They may start barking orders at everyone around. Or they retreat into their beer, computer games or TV. At times verbal and physical outbursts are not far behind.
Gradually COs often become more suspicious of people. They can become cynical, bitter, mistrusting, constantly vigilant and on the lookout for cons. With a shorter fuse the walls around them can keep getting taller and thicker. Chronic anger and the habit of being always on guard take their toll on spirit, soul and body. Substance abuses—such as slavish reliance upon alcohol and tobacco or overeating—contribute to health problems. High turnover rates, sick leave, work-related disability, divorce rates, and even suicidal behavior plague the CO population.
Is this our problem? Yes, it is. When a significant portion of the community suffers, the whole community is impacted. We need to learn to care for these warriors in the shadows. We need to lift them up in prayer and reach out to them in any way possible. They need to know that we value them, that we are grateful to them and that we care.
COs seem to mostly "fly below the radar." Even when we meet COs at Wal-Mart, at church or at community festivals, we seldom really understand them. COs may be the least appreciated and least recognized branch of law enforcement. Most of us do not know the challenges COs encounter in their interactions with inmates, administration and peers. And most of us are unaware of the impact of the work-related stress on their relationships, not to mention the toll it all takes on their physical, psychological and spiritual health. Even COs’ significant others are often in the dark about the struggles that come with the career. COs tend to hold it all in, not wishing to upset or burden loved ones with their problems.
Perhaps many of us do not know—and do not want to know—about prison work. For us, out of sight is out of mind, and that’s the way we want it when it comes to criminals. Maybe COs are tainted in our minds by association—whoever deals with inmates becomes shadowy too. Moreover, the media often tend to stereotype COs negatively, portraying them as brutal and blood-thirsty "knuckle-dragging Neanderthals." So some of us recoil from COs when we encounter them, assuming and imagining the worst about them.
And yet, COs are men and women who, unarmed and vastly outnumbered, risk their lives daily while managing some of the most dangerous people in the nation. Police officers and sheriff’s deputies take offenders off the street. COs have the duty of keeping offenders incarcerated until they have paid their debt and are deemed safe to return to society. COs work to ensure that offenders serve their sentences safely, without harming or being harmed by other inmates. Other correctional staff, such as teachers, assist in the rehabilitation of offenders to facilitate a better future after their release.
To appreciate the value of COs, imagine if no one was willing to work in corrections. Imagine if offenders roamed free of the control of the criminal justice system! Scary thought!
What are some of the stressors COs encounter? The most obvious are safety threats due to violent and abusive inmates. Psychological and physical trauma is a common occurrence in prison settings. Encounters with evil, witnessing or enduring assaults with deadly weapons, feces and body fluid attacks, hatred, vile verbal abuse, harassment, and "mind" games are but a sampling of what COs, understaffed and overloaded, face daily on the job.
In addition, COs operate in a confining, highly structured and rigid paramilitary environment with multitudes of rules and regulations. COs often come to see themselves as insignificant and easily replaceable cogs in a gigantic wheel. Following orders becomes the focus. Staff relationships and character development suffer. Personal input and initiative are practically nonexistent for those at lower ranks. Opportunities for advancement may be slim.
The prevailing atmosphere inside a prison can become one of danger, mistrust, powerlessness, disrespect, alienation and meaninglessness. The level of frustration can be so high that staff ends up snarling at one another, venting their anger on each other, criticizing and blaming one another. And when they go home they take their irritability with them. They may start barking orders at everyone around. Or they retreat into their beer, computer games or TV. At times verbal and physical outbursts are not far behind.
Gradually COs often become more suspicious of people. They can become cynical, bitter, mistrusting, constantly vigilant and on the lookout for cons. With a shorter fuse the walls around them can keep getting taller and thicker. Chronic anger and the habit of being always on guard take their toll on spirit, soul and body. Substance abuses—such as slavish reliance upon alcohol and tobacco or overeating—contribute to health problems. High turnover rates, sick leave, work-related disability, divorce rates, and even suicidal behavior plague the CO population.
Is this our problem? Yes, it is. When a significant portion of the community suffers, the whole community is impacted. We need to learn to care for these warriors in the shadows. We need to lift them up in prayer and reach out to them in any way possible. They need to know that we value them, that we are grateful to them and that we care.