Working on local time: Testing the job-demand-control-support model of stress with jail officers

The demands and consequences of the correctional workplace are well-documented, but researchers have yet to examine the correlates of work stress among a large multi-facility sample of jail officers. We framed our inquiry within the Job Demand-Control-Support model that has guided researchers in parallel studies of work stress among prison officers.

Data on officers' background characteristics, job demands, work-related control or autonomy, support from coworkers or family members, safety risks, and work-related stress were examined across 1380 officers working in 19 jails.

Unreasonable workloads, perceptions of insufficient staff, role problems, less control or autonomy, a lack of support at work or home, and exposure to violence were associated with greater stress among jail officers. Jails with characteristics that threatened order and security-having more inmates per officer and greater levels of inmate violence-had higher levels of stress among officer workforces.

Findings largely support research on work stress among prison officers and may inform efforts to reduce stress and improve quality of life among jail and prison personnel. Delegating appropriate workloads, the maintenance of control, social supports, and the reduction of safety risks are all important for reducing work stress among jail officers.