Abstract
In the past, correctional institutions and the prisoners being
housed inside were viewed negatively by society. Today, the human rights of
those behind bars have been greatly improved due to better understanding and
continuous reform of the judicial and criminal systems. But these reforms have
placed tremendous pressure on prison security officers. Employees' physical and
psychological well-being, including those working in jailhouses, is key to
institutional success; thus, preventing employees from developing role
pressure, helping them become more involved in their job, and guiding them to
obtain more confidence in their work are crucial matters that need to be
addressed. This study aims to investigate the relationship between role stress
and the job involvement of prison security officers in correctional
institutions. We developed an online survey questionnaire and circulated it
over the Internet. Next, the invalid parts were removed, and the data collected
was analyzed. The results showed that role stress significantly impacts job
involvement. Based on this, the following suggestions are proposed: (1)
external counseling resources could be introduced for prison security officers;
(2) grass-root security manpower could be added in correctional facilities; (3)
means to relieve stress needs to be provided for security officers; (4)
individual tasks should be clearly described and assigned; (5) retention
incentives should be increased; (6) professional training should be improved;
(7) self-learning should be encouraged;
(8) more opportunities for experience-sharing among peers could be
given; and (9) senior officers must be urged to give speeches to boost their
colleagues’ morale.
Keywords: Prison security officers, Role stress, Job involvement.