Prison Officer Stress and Rule Enforcement

• In Event: Correctional Officer Stress and Related Outcomes

Abstract

Prison officers report relatively high levels of occupational stress, but limited knowledge exists about the potential impacts of stress on on-the-job behaviors. The goal of this project is to examine the possibility that increased stress changes how prison officers enforce rules, which is a critical aspect of prison work and management. Understanding the linkages between stress and officer use of discretion is critical for understanding how, in an era of high levels of dissatisfaction and turnover among prison workers, prison conditions and the experiences of correctional officers influence key aspects of prison management and the overall conditions of carceral spaces.

Authors

• Katherine Rankin, University of Cincinnati

• Joshua C. Cochran, University of Cincinnati