NCJ Number
243175
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 40 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2013 Pages: 551-568
Date Published
May 2013
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This study examined job stress and related coping mechanisms for prison wardens.
Abstract
Job stress is related to poor job performance, dissatisfaction, and turnover for correctional officers in the workplace. Despite parallel implications for correctional administrators, an extension of the correctional officer job stress literature to prison wardens is virtually absent. Yet the dynamic correctional environment includes many added challenges for prison wardens that could lead to a stressful work experience. Similar to those of officers, coping mechanisms for prison wardens may include peer support, but the extent of a warden's transformational leadership skills could be related to a more positive work experience. Results indicate that wardens who perceived themselves as having higher levels of transformational leadership capacity also experienced less job stress. Peer support was unrelated to job stress, but employee trust was a robust correlate. In addition, although corrections tenure was unrelated, a wider breadth of corrections experience (holding treatment and custody positions) was related to less stress. Abstract published by arrangement with Sage Journals.