Corrections Employees’ Concerns about Inmates’ Mental and Physical Health

• In Event: Prisoners' Mental, Physical, and Emotional Well-being

Abstract

Although research suggests that inmates suffer from a variety of mental and physical health problems, few studies have investigated corrections employees’ concerns about inmate health, particularly their physical health. To address this shortcoming, the current study uses data from approximately 300 correctional officers and administrative staff working at a large Southern prison to examine how individual characteristics (e.g., age, gender, self-rated physical and mental health) and workplace characteristics (e.g., perceived dangerousness of the job) affect concerns about inmates’ mental and physical health (e.g., beliefs about the veracity of inmate complaints, attitudes about the quality of care inmates receive).  Preliminary results suggest that both individual and workplace characteristics are associated with concerns about inmate health. Implications for policy and future research are also discussed.

Authors

• Stacy Haynes, Mississippi State University

• Amy Burdette, Florida State University

• Eric Lambert, University of Mississippi

• David May, Mississippi State University

• Linda Keena, The University of Mississippi