How conflict ‘bleeds over’ for correctional staff: exploring work-family conflict through correctional subculture

Improving the Mental Health of Correctional Workers: Perspectives From the Field

“…Such features in turn could facility greater stability in one’s personal life, including the ability to make plans and spend uninterrupted time with friends and family. Such a focus in responses captures the extent to which the realms of work and life are interconnected (Higgins et al, 2021), evidenced by work structures that directly impact both the quantity and quality of personal time.…”

“…In addition to studies noting the high prevalence of compromised mental health among correctional workers, a sizable body of research points to how correctional work is associated with different types of work-life conflict. These include time-based (i.e., lack of time for one's family due to schedules), role-based (i.e., difficulty shifting gears between the work and home personas), and strain-based conflict (i.e., emotional fatigue; Higgins et al, 2021;Lambert et al, 2020;Triplett et al, 1999;Vickovic & Morrow, 2020). worklife conflict is common among correctional workers, which produces complex outcomes related to job satisfaction, organizational commitment, job stress, and burnout (Lambert et al, 2002(Lambert et al, , 2006(Lambert et al, , 2020(Lambert et al, , 2021.…”

“…Mounting research across diverse contexts documents the adverse mental health outcomes associated with correctional work. Studies focusing on burnout (Kim et al, 2017; Useche et al, 2019), mental health disorders (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], major depressive disorder, general anxiety disorder; Denhof & Spinaris, 2016; Carleton et al, 2018; Regehr et al, 2019), and other factors tied to well-being and life quality (e.g., work–life conflict; Higgins et al, 2021) shed light on the toll of correctional work on staff. Yet, the literature on correctional worker well-being appears to consistently illuminate poor outcomes, regardless of the operational context.…”

“We keep the nightmares in their cages”: Correctional culture, identity, and the warped badge of honor*

“…The occupation is riddled with organizational demands that generate challenges for staff (Butler et al., 2019), as well as a host of issues that make the job undesirable (Lommel, 2004). Furthermore, as increasing research has demonstrated, the collateral consequences of prison work transfers into domains outside the prison (Armstrong et al., 2015; Chesney‐Lind & Mauer, 2003; Higgins et al., 2021). Meanwhile, correctional staff implement the objectives of the prison system.…”

Documenting the mental health climate in correctional work and the realities of suicide

“…Other challenges associated with mental health disorder symptoms and/or difficult social and relational factors (i.e., interpersonal conflict, child abuse, low socio-economic status, bereavement, bullying), alongside frequent exposure to potentially psychologically traumatic events such as violence, harassment, abuses, suicide, threats, or other unhealthy workplace conditions (i.e., overcrowding, infectious disease), may aggravate correctional workers’ tendencies toward suicide behavior and thoughts ( Turner et al, 2018 ; Carleton et al, 2019 ; Ricciardelli et al, 2020 ; Genest et al, 2021 ; Lerman et al, 2022 ). The intersection of personal and social factors in understandings of suicide behavior such as stressful work conditions ( Violanti et al, 2008 ; Genest et al, 2021 ), prevalence of mental health disorders ( Violanti et al, 2008 ), including substance use disorders ( Henderson et al, 2016 ), and family conflict/relationship concerns ( Triplett et al, 1999 ; Dixon, 2021 ; Genest et al, 2021 ; Higgins et al, 2022 ) can coincide with difficult occupational social climates. More specifically, Genest et al (2021) found that correctional workers’ experiences with marital or family problems and difficulties at work (i.e., bullying) sometimes intensified or precipitated suicide thoughts and behaviors, while having children and a partner tended to act as protective factors for those presenting with ideation.…”