Community-based alternatives to prison claim to be more effective in reducing recidi- vism than are traditional prisons, to be cheaper than prisons, and to reduce over- crowding in prisons and jails. However, some research has shown that the presumed benefits of community corrections may not exist.

Women offenders are 7 times more likely to experience sexual abuse and 4 times more likely to experience physical abuse when compared to their male counterparts. In a study conducted in 2007, focusing on women in prison with alcohol problems, gender-responsive models are noted as important.

Correctional program refers to a type of program to which the criminal offenders are submitted. It includes both supervision and educational training given to correct the criminal offenders. Sometimes the correctional program is given as part of the sentence. It is mandatory for juvenile delinquents.

Four major goals are usually attributed to the sentencing process: retribution, rehabilitation, deterrence, and incapacitation.

The primary goal of correctional counselors is to intervene therapeutically with various clients, the majority of whom happen to be offenders. These interventions include prison adjustment, prerelease and postrelease vocational and marital/family readjustment, and work with adolescent adjustment problems.

Correctional officers should also possess the following specific qualities:

• Good judgment.
• Interpersonal skills.
• Negotiating skills.
• Physical strength.
• Resourcefulness.
• Self discipline.

Good reasons to give include a desire to work in a rehabilitative environment where you have the opportunity to help people turn their lives around; put your skills and experience to good use and also work in an environment that is challenging and rewarding and where no two days are ever the same.

Decisiveness: Successful correctional officers need to have the ability to handle uncertainty, the ability to process information quickly, the ability to weigh evidence with intuition and take action in a timely manner. Resilience: Learn from mistakes, setbacks, or failure and use as a stepping stone to learn.

The Pros & Cons of Being a Correctional Officer

• Pro: Pay and Benefits. The average annual salary of a state correctional officer is $38,380 and $53,459 for Federal positions.
• Pro: Job Security.
• Con: Long Training.
• Con: Danger.
• Con: Poor Working Conditons.
• Con: Working Holidays and Odd Shifts.

Divorce rates are as high as 47%. Supervisors of correctional officers – Similar to dispatchers, first-line supervisors of correctional officers experience a high level of stress, which makes them feel unhappy outside of work, including in their marriages. The divorce rate is 46.9%.

Furthermore, jail guards have a greater risk of chronic injury, high cholesterol, hypertension and heart disease compared to other law enforcement occupations. Work conflicts, fatigue, heavy workload and inadequate resources all contribute to stress among correctional officers.

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, among occupational groups, only police experience more violent incidents at work than correction officers. For every 10,000 full-time COs, there were 254 workplace assaults and violent injuries reported in 2011 — 36 times the rate for all American workers.

A career as a corrections officer can provide you with a stable career and decent salary with benefits, but it also carries some risks. The BLS states that corrections officers can be injured during confrontations with inmates and they have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses out of all occupations.

A recent study of the consequences of job stress in correctional officers revealed that the life expectancy of a correctional officer is 59 years, compared to 75 years for the national average.

Correctional officers have some of the most difficult and dangerous jobs in law enforcement. For correctional officers, PTSD, depression and other mental health problems are an unfortunate and inevitable aspect of the job.

Correctional officers are exposed to a high degree of stress every day. Working long shifts behind walls day in and day out can and does take a toll. Each aspect of the job, including inmate interactions, workplace environment and resulting home life, can contribute to the build-up of this stress.

According to a California correctional officer survey conducted by University of California, Berkeley, 1 in 3 correctional officers have experienced at least one symptom of PTSD. Forty percent of officers have reported having nightmares about an event at work that was frightening, horrible, or upsetting.

There is a consensus in the literature and among the interviewees regarding four aspects of correctional work that are stressful: the threat of inmate violence, actual inmate violence, inmate demands and attempts at manipulation, and problems with coworkers. Threat of inmate violence.

The coping strategies utilized by the correctional officer as evaluated by the Carver COPE tool were: get rid of the problem, let out my emotions, seek support from family, seek advice about what to do, seek spiritual help, wait and not overreact, typically become emotionally distressed, exercise, use alcohol, smoke.