Burn Out and Correctional Officers Essay -- Criminal Justice

There have been an increasing number of studies done in the past 40 years based on the concept of â€Å"burn-out† and specifically the work environment for human service workers and the evident amount of job stress these suffer from. Human service workers play a vital role in our community and it is terrible to think that so many of these passionate people are overwhelmed and burnout from their careers. Another big issue is not only the impact burnout has on the individual but on their clients and organization. A professional who is burned out cannot assist a client to the best of their ability. For example, an inmate in a correctional facility will not be getting the best care in order to rehabilitate them and reintegrate them into society if the correctional workers are burnt out and bitter. Everyone that studies the concept of burnout have their own take on it, and their own definition. The biggest problem with the study of burnout is the lack of clarity and complete agreeable concept amongst all those trying to define it. Being burnt out could describe anything from the flu to depression because there is not any clear classification. The definition of burnout by Christina Maslach seems to be all encompassing. According to Maslach, â€Å"burnout is a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment that can occur among individuals who work with people in some capacity.† A vital characteristic of the burnout syndrome is increased feelings of emotional exhaustion – â€Å"as emotional resources are depleted, workers feel they are no longer able to give of themselves at a psychological level.† Another aspect of the burnout syndrome is the development of depersonalization, which are basically negativ... ...f Psychology 52, no. 1 (2001): 396-422. Maslach, Christina. "Job Burnout: New Directions in Research and Intervention." Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2003: 198-192. Mumola, C. J. "Substance Abuse and Treatment, State and Federal Prisoners." Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1999. Paine, Whiton Stewart. "Job Stress and Burnout." Research, Theory and Intervention Perspectives (Sage Publications), 1982. Patrick, Pamela. Health Care Worker Burnout: What It Is, What To Do About It. Inquiry Books, 1981. Pines, Ayala. "Sex and Culture in Burnout and Coping Among Human Service Professionals." Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology 17, no. 2 (June 1986): 191-209. Shapiro, David. "Psychotherapy and subjective experience." psychiatry (Basic Books), 1985: 311-317. Whitehead, John T. Burnout in Probation and Corrections. The University of Michigan: Praeger, 1999.