Navigating the Culture: Jail Staff Perspectives on Burnout, Substance Use, and Available Treatment Services

The demanding nature of correctional work exposes jail employees to a range of occupational stressors, such as managing high-risk populations, dealing with interpersonal conflicts, responding to violence, and experiencing chronic understaffing. These stressors often contribute to mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, while also increasing the likelihood of substance use/misuse as a coping mechanism. Although research primarily focuses on custodial staff, this study expands the focus to include non-custodial staff, offering a more comprehensive understanding of burnout and substance challenges among the jail workforce. Through in-depth interviews with 38 staff members, this study explores how both custodial and non-custodial jail staff perceive and respond to substance use within correctional institutions. The study also examines staff perceptions of institutional support services aimed at addressing substance use, mental health, and other work-related challenges. The findings highlight the impact of substance use on the staff and the workplace, the accessibility and effectiveness of the resources currently offered by their departments, and the barriers staff face if/when seeking help. By examining these key perceptions and experiences, this study provides valuable insight into how organizational experiences and institutional resources potentially influence staff-well-being and the overall functionality of correctional facilities, while also offering some recommendations for improving jail work and staff well-being.

Author dc:creator

• Magana, Jaylyn Rose

Contributors dc:contributor

• Rudes, Danielle
• Hartsell, Elizabeth
• Leal, Wanda

• Criminal Justice and Criminology
• Corrections

Language dc:language

English

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11875/5261

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:tdl-ir.tdl.org:20.500.11875/5261