This episode addresses a key theme of our interviews with individuals working in prisons and jails—mental and physical health for correctional staff. Using multidisciplinary science, we consider the effects of violence exposure on staff and some possible protective factors in prisons and jails that may help staff cope. The episode also looks at the importance of sound workplace interventions that correctional systems may want to consider before attempting to implement health and wellness initiatives to assist carceral staff.

Download the one-pager (PDF).

Evers, T. J., Ogloff, J. R., Trounson, J. S., & Pfeifer, J. E. (2020). Well-being interventions for correctional officers in a prison setting: A review and meta-analysis. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 47(1), 3–21.

Gray, P., Senabe, S., Naicker, N., Kgalamono, S., Yassi, A., & Spiegel, J. M. (2019). Workplace-based organizational interventions promoting mental health and happiness among healthcare workers: A realist review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(22), 4396.

Lerman, A. E., Harney, J., & Sadin, M. (2022). Prisons and mental health: Violence, organizational support, and the effects of correctional work. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 49(2), 181–199.

This project was supported by Grant [5PBJA-22-AG-00031-MUMU] awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. Points of view or opinions in this podcast are those of the host and the research team and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.