Former Correctional Officers And Their Perceived Stress Related To The Work Environment While Employed In A Georgia Prison Facility For Male Inmates: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

The researcher’s dissertation explored the lived experiences and perceived stress of former correctional officers who have worked with male inmates to identify their perceived work-related stress. The dissertation also explored the impact stress had on the correctional officers’ job performance and post-corrections adaptation. While some existing literature focuses on the psychiatrist’s, prisoner, and case manager’s perspectives, research invested in the perspective of the correctional officers within the correctional environment pales in comparison. Bureau of Justice Statistics, statisticians Kaeble and Cowhig (2016) noted that data was gathered based on persons supervised by U.S. adult correctional systems at year-end 2016, including persons supervised in the community on probation or parole and those incarcerated in state or federal prison or local jail. According to the data collected (2016) an estimated 6,613,500 persons were supervised by U.S. adult correctional systems. There are approximately 53,064 incarcerated men and women within the state of Georgia (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2018). According to the sentencing project, the state of Georgia is currently No 1. in the nation for the number of persons under supervision, whether that is in prison, jail, parole, or probation This study will investigate the lived experiences of former correctional officers’ perceptions of work related stress and how this stress may have impacted them in their post- employment. Optimistically, the results of this phenomenological study will add to current research on work environment stress, with a special focus within correctional settings and from the perspective of those who maintain balance, safety, and order within a prison fence. KEYWORDS: Inmates, correctional officers, work environment stress