Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

The Impact of Correctional Officer Perceptions of Inmates on Job Stress

The relationship between the levels of stress experiences by correctional officers and their opinion of inmates is examined. “Lower supervisory support and perceptions of the job being dangerous were associated with higher levels of job stress. More importantly, correctional officers who saw inmates as intimidated (not arrogant) and nonmanipulative reported lower levels of job stress, while officers who perceived inmates as being unfriendly, antisocial, and cold reported higher levels of stress” (p. 1).