NCJ Number
191537
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 63 Issue: 6 Dated: October 2001 Pages: 98-100,105
Editor(s)
Susan L. Clayton
Date Published
2001
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article reviews the sources of stress for correctional officers and describes various counseling programs offered by the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee.
Abstract
When Gayle Ray became Davidson County sheriff in 1994, she did not have any real correctional experience. As a mother and former educator, she felt as though her experience dealing with emotions was fairly extensive. She soon learned that she did not know anything about the emotions behind a correctional officer’s badge. Tragedy struck the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) 1 year after she became sheriff. The death of one of her civil warrant officers, who was shot by a mentally disturbed person while serving a warrant, shook the department. What she did not realize was that there were 250 correctional officers in the department who were dealing with life and death situations everyday; but no counseling was offered to them. This article reviews the sources of stress for correctional officers, programs for correctional personnel stress reduction, voluntary counseling services, mandatory referral of employees to counseling, and peer supporters. Peer support, individual counseling, critical incident stress debriefing (CISD), or any other support service that agencies offer will go a long way in showing employees that their agencies care about their well-being.