We receive this question frequently; however, it is not an easy statistic to locate. Here is the response we have provided to similar requests.
Cheek, Frances E. and Marie DiStefano Miller, 1982
Emery, C. Eugene Jr., 2011
A lower life expectancy seems plausible, but age 58 seemed extraordinarily low when a 35-year-old male is predicted to live to age 77. We decided to track down the truth. It turned out to be as easy as handcuffing a ghost.
Correctional Service Canada
This study demonstrates that there is no occupational risk associated with being a correctional officer in terms of reducing one's life expectancy.
Florida State Lodge, 2011
On average, law enforcement and correctional officers died 12 years earlier than the general population. In other words, law enforcement and corrections officers lived 62.4 years compared to 74.2 years for the general population.
Document ID: 025403
Konda, Srinivas, Audrey A. Reichard, and Hope M. Tiesman, 2012
This study describes fatal and nonfatal occupational injuries among U.S. correctional officers.
Brower, Jaime, 2013
Moreover, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that, from 1999 to 2008, there were 113 occupational fatalities among civilian COs; a fatality rate of 2.7 per 100,000 full time employees. Of these deaths, 40 percent were intentional fatalities, meaning not accidents or suicides.
Document ID: 028104
Office of Justice Programs , Diagnostic Center, 2015
Seven staff fatalities including three suicides in just three years (2010-2012). For professionals who operate correction facilities, stress can be a significant issue with fatal consequences. The Middlesex Sheriff’s Office (MSO) had 45 staff fatalities over the past 30 years. Twenty-four percent of these deaths were suicide. MSO believes the other deaths are tied to stress and wellness related health issues such as heart attack, stroke, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Document ID: 030026
Denhof, Michael D., and Caterina G. Spinaris, 2016
A formal research inquiry was performed into the prevalence of various health status conditions among Michigan Corrections Organization members, primarily white male Corrections Officers, working in prison environments. The relationship between magnitude of exposure to work-related events involving violence, injury and death (VID), and several health conditions was examined.
The resources provided will help give an overview of the problems surrounding correctional suicides and the ways one can implement strategies to turn around the alarming upward trajectory of suicide rates.
