Stressed Out

Some occupations will eat you up and spit you out if you let them. Corrections is one of those occupations. Every day, corrections staff—both sworn and non-sworn—enter a building or report to an agency where many of the clientele work to subvert their authority, manipulate them, and make demands upon them. This stress takes a toll on correctional workers' physical and mental health, affecting their quality of life. When stress is not effectively managed it can result in illness, depression, substance abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder. And then there is the human toll, including arguments and negativity at home, strained relations with co-workers, and separation and divorce.

Stress in corrections must be managed, both physically and mentally. This book, written by a corrections veteran and instructor, explores the problem of stress in corrections and what the corrections professional can do to protect themselves and mitigate stress. This book can be a valuable tool in a profession dealing with many problems, including overcrowding, offender violence, offenders with mental illness, short staffing, overtime, and shift work. It can help the corrections professional survive in a very demanding field. It is written plainly and discusses what can be done in a common-sense fashion.