“Every Day I was Crying about Something”: Lingering Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on People Working in Juvenile Prisons

Staff working in prison settings experience high rates of job-related stress which was amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Twenty staff members from a juvenile prison were interviewed to determine the unique mental health symptoms and stressors several years after initial shutdown procedures. An...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Thompson, Kelli (Author) ; Fix, Rebecca L. (Author) ; Doan, Brandon (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2025
In: The prison journal
Year: 2025, Volume: 105, Issue: 1, Pages: 3-24
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
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Keywords:
Wellness
staff mental health
occupational stressors
Juvenile Justice
residential facilities
Covid-19 Pandemic
Description
Summary:Staff working in prison settings experience high rates of job-related stress which was amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Twenty staff members from a juvenile prison were interviewed to determine the unique mental health symptoms and stressors several years after initial shutdown procedures. Anxiety, PTSD symptoms, and sleep disturbances were reported; sometimes resulting in staff avoiding interactions with youth. Some positive aspects were noted, but overall, results indicated a continued need for mental health support and policy changes for staff. As noted by one participant, “If you don’t have the direct care staff, you don’t have a facility.”
ISSN:1552-7522
DOI:10.1177/00328855241292778