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Staff are essential to running safe and humane correctional institutions. To this end, staff sometimes need to report coworker misconduct. Doing so requires a propensity to engage in whistleblowing, a topic that has received very little attention in the criminal justice literature. Using results from the Work Experiences Questionnaire (WEQ), an instrument designed to measure various features of correctional work environments, we found several exploratory variables to be significantly associated with individual whistleblowing propensity. Specifically, male staff, White staff, and staff with college degrees had higher propensity scores. Increases in job satisfaction and organizational whistleblowing propensity were also related to greater willingness to report wrongdoing, whereas affective organizational commitment had a negative effect. To the extent replicated, such findings can guide policy and practice concerning the reporting of correctional staff wrongdoing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organisational commitment is an important concept in the field of corrections. The current study examined how workplace variables affected commitment among Nigerian correctional staff and compared the results to the findings of past studies of U.S. correctional staff. Specifically, the effects of the workplace variables of input into decision-making, quality training, job variety, quality supervision, perceived dangerousness of the job, and role overload were examined. Input, quality training, job variety, and quality supervision had significant positive effects on commitment. Dangerousness and overload had nonsignificant effects. As with past U.S. studies, the current findings indicate commitment to the organisation is stronger when staff are treated in a positive manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some correctional officers end their careers in disgrace when they engage in acts of cruelty against the very inmates they are paid to protect. In the present study, we administered 501 questionnaires to prison guards within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in order to identify characteristics of officers who may possess attitudes favorable to the mistreatment of inmates. We found that younger, male officers, who reported being dissatisfied with their jobs, were at a higher risk of ignoring wrongful acts against prisoners. Officers who lacked family support at home, as well as those who lacked supervisory support at work, were also more likely to tolerate acts of abuse or incivility toward offenders. Finally, officers who perceived their coworkers were engaging in staff-inmate boundary violations were more likely to accept the maltreatment of inmates than their peers. We posit these prison guards, who sensed their coworkers were crossing over to the offenders' side, may have turned a blind eye toward acts of officer-on-inmate maltreatment in an attempt to demarcate a line between the keeper and the kept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the issue of trust is theoretically essential for the effective operation of correctional organizations, few researchers have examined how the different types of trust are related to salient outcomes for staff. In this study, we examined the effects of coworker, supervisor, and management trust on the job involvement, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment of 322 Southern U.S. correctional staff. The types of workplace trust, however, varied in their effects. Specifically, multivariate analysis indicated only management trust had a significant positive effect on job involvement, but both coworker trust and management trust had significant positive effects on job satisfaction, whereas both supervisor trust and management trust had significant positive effects on organizational commitment. The current findings support the overall contention that workplace trust plays an important role in shaping prison staff job involvement, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. The results underscore the need for improving perceptions of trust in the workplace, particularly management trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staff are the most vital resource for any correctional facility. As corrections is a very expensive budget item in the U.S., finding and keeping dedicated employees is essential. Organizational commitment refers the bond between correctional staff and their institution. A strong bond is essential for the safety and security of both employees and inmates, as well as ensuring that the institution runs effectively. This review explores past research on three different types of organizational commitment (affective, moral, and continuance), in order to summarize past results and to reveal areas remaining unexplored. This paper examines both the antecedents and outcomes of organizational commitment. Through a systematic review of past studies, we have identified both positive and negative workplace factors that influence organizational commitment. In addition, we report how organizational commitment affects various outcomes, such as burnout and turnover intent. Understanding how to increase staff commitment can provide a blueprint for administrators to enhance correctional operations and employee satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Correctional staff are a necessary and valuable resource for correctional institutions, in both Western and Nonwestern nations; however, studies of correctional staff in Nonwestern nations, particularly those in Africa, are lacking. Improving the job satisfaction and organizational commitment of these staff are imperative, as both of these job attitudes have been linked to many salient beneficial outcomes. Most of the existing empirical research on correctional staff organizational justice explores only the effects of procedural and distributive justice and ignores interpersonal justice. Additionally, there has been little research on how procedural, distributive, and interpersonal justice affect correctional staff in Nonwestern correctional organizations. The current study explored the effects of all three forms of organizational justice on the job satisfaction and organizational commitment of staff at a medium security prison in southeast Nigeria. Based on Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression, all three forms of justice had significant positive effects on commitment. Procedural and interpersonal justice had positive effects on job satisfaction, while distributive justice had nonsignificant effects. Correctional administrators need to be aware the importance of procedural, distributive, and interpersonal justice and attempt to improve perceptions of these organizational justice variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Social and personal stigma surrounding mental disorders among public safety personnel (PSP), including correctional staff, is undergoing a process of transformation. We examined how diverse Canadian prison staff interpret mental health and treatment seeking. Methods: We conduct a secondary analysis of existing data collected through an anonymous on-line survey of 1,017 Canadian prison staff. Attitudes towards mental health and stigma were measured. Participants were also asked how likely they would be to seek help for a mental disorder. Comparisons between self-reported males and females and different occupational groups within prison were made using Mann-Whitney U statistics and an analysis of variance (ANOVA) with a Bonferroni correction. Results: Male participants (38.6% of the sample) were significantly more likely (p<0.001) to display stigma towards individuals with mental disorders and significantly less likely (p<0.001) to be willing to get treatment if they developed a mental health problem. We also found significant differences between prison staff based on occupation. Conclusions: Female participants and wellness staff report the most positive attitudes towards mental health and mental health treatment, yet some stigma still exists regarding mental disorders. Correctional staff are concerned about the impact of seeking treatment on their employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) have been the subject of considerable research attention within business organizations. Much less attention has been directed at OCBs within criminal justice agencies, and even less research has addressed OCBs within police organizations. The present study uses survey data collected from 829 police officers in India to assess the antecedents of several dimensions of OCBs. Unlike most prior research, we use a path model in an effort to disentangle the direct and indirect effects of organizational justice, job demands and job resources, organizational justice, stress, and work attitudes on OCBs while controlling for officer personal characteristics. Our findings indicate that job satisfaction and organizational commitment are strong predictors of OCBs and that they mediate the effects of job stress, which did not directly influence OCBs. In addition, organizational justice factors exerted inconsistent effects on OCBs. Strategies for increasing the likelihood that officers will engage in OCBs are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past research among U.S. correctional staff has found that work-family conflict has negative outcomes such as decreasing job satisfaction, decreasing organizational commitment, and increasing job stress. Little empirical research has addressed the association of the specific types of work-family conflict with job involvement. The present study contributes to the literature by separately analyzing the relationship of the four specific major types of work-family conflict (time-based conflict, strain-based conflict, behavior-based conflict, and family-on-work conflict) with job involvement among surveyed staff at two Chinese prisons. Job involvement varied by the type of work-family conflict. Specifically, time-based conflict and strain-based conflict had nonsignificant association with job involvement, but behavior-based and family-based conflicts had significant negative associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Police operate around the world. Police organizations are tasked with a wide variety of duties, and successful police organizations need committed officers. The three main forms of organizational commitment are affective, normative, and continuance commitment. This study examined the relationship of overall job satisfaction and facet job satisfaction (transfers, pay, promotions, and supervision) on affective, normative, and continuance commitment among 550 officers working in the operations and investigation wings of the Lahore Police Stations in Punjab, Pakistan. Based on multivariate ordinary least squares (OLS) regression results, overall job satisfaction and facet satisfaction with transfers, pay, and supervision had significant positive effects on affective and normative commitment and negative associations with continuance commitment. Satisfaction with promotions, however, had a negative relationship with affective and normative commitment and a positive association with continuance commitment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The job characteristics model was used to explain job satisfaction at a large southern prison. The effects of job variety, role clarity, views of supervision, views of training, perceived dangerousness of the job, and job autonomy on job satisfaction were studied. Using data from 322 staff members, the study found positive job characteristics (i.e., job variety, supervision, training, and lower perceived dangerousness of job) were associated with greater job satisfaction. Job autonomy was non-significant. Job variety, quality of supervision, and training views were positively associated with job satisfaction for all staff and security officers, whereas dangerousness of job was negatively associated. Role clarity mattered for all staff, but not security officers. Reasons for both significant and non-significant relationships were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Job stress is a problem in corrections. Although the very nature of correctional work is stressful, workplace variables also contribute to correctional staff job stress. The job demands-resource model holds that job demands increase negative outcomes (e.g., job stress) and decrease positive outcomes (e.g., job satisfaction), whereas job resources help increase positive outcomes and decrease negative outcomes. An ordinary least squares regression analysis of self-reported survey data from 322 staff at a Southern prison indicated that input into decision-making and quality supervision had statistically significant negative effects on job stress, whereas role overload and fear of victimization had significant positive effects. Instrumental communication, views of training, and role clarity all had nonsignificant associations with stress from the job in the multivariate analysis. The results partially supported the job demands-resources model; however, the specific work environment variables varied in terms of their statistical significance. Correctional administrators need to be aware of the contribution that workplace variables have on job stress and make changes to reduce staff job stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In private correctional institutions, staff are an important resource, since they are tasked with a myriad of duties necessary to operate a humane, safe, and secure facility. As political demands for budgetary restraint increase, it is paramount that administrators find and retain good staff. Staff retention is influenced by workplace factors. This study explored the four types o work-family (time-based conflict, strain-based conflict, behavior-based conflict, and family-based conflict) and their effects on job involvement. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression results indicated that age, position (correctional officers) and time-based conflict had negative effects on job involvement, and family-based conflict had positive effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Life satisfaction is an important concept for both workers and employing organizations. Past research on the spillover theory has found that higher life satisfaction results in lower absenteeism and turnover/turnover intent, higher job performance, and better mental and physical health. The current study examined how job variables (i.e., job stress, job involvement, and job satisfaction) were associated with life satisfaction among Nigerian prison staff in an attempt to determine whether the aforementioned workplace variables have similar or different effects across nations. Data for this study came from a survey of 120 responding staff at a prison located in the Ebonyi state in Southeast Nigeria. In a multivariate ordinary least squares regression analysis, job stress had significant negative effects on life satisfaction, and job involvement and job satisfaction had significant positive effects. The findings for job stress and job involvement are consistent with that found among U.S. correctional staff. The finding that job involvement had a significant positive effect differs from that reported for U.S. staff. The results suggest that prison administrators should attempt to lower job stress and increase job involvement and job satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined a gendered model of the effects of supervisory factors on job outcomes for both men and women. Two competing hypotheses, the importation-differential experiences model and the work role prisonization model, guided the analyses of the effects of supervisor support, supervisor structure, and supervisor trust on job stress, job satisfaction, and affective organizational commitment. Data came from surveys of 160 correctional staff employed at a Midwestern prison. The results provide substantial support for the work model and less support for the importation model. Few differences were found in how men and women respond to supervisory factors. The implications of these results are discussed.