Corrections_Today_March_April_2020_Volume 82, Number 2

NIJ Update

with respect to some of the officers who died by suicide, the fam- ily explained that there had been a relatively lengthy history of anxiety, depression, or both. In several of the cases, there were previous suicide at- tempts – in some cases, the attempts dated back to adolescence. The family was aware that the officer was struggling, and family members were actively doing everything they could to intervene. Even in these families, the suicide event was unpredicted and unpredictable. Preventing the unexpected In a related set of cases, there was not a known history of mental health struggles, but the officers were known to be experiencing particularly acute personal struggles at the time that they died. These of- ficers tended to have been perceived as emotionally and behaviorally stable until they had confronted a particularly significant, recent life challenge. Although these challenges were in some instances very clearly work-related, with several officers facing discipline or demotion, more often they were personal. For almost all of the officers, personal and occu- pational struggles were inextricable. Several of the officers were in the midst of difficult divorces and child custody disputes. Quite a few were battling growing problems with substance use. Some were fighting chronic pain from injuries, often sustained at work. Several were fighting with the department to have the lingering effects of those workplace injuries recognized. In these cases, which were about equal to the number with known mental health histories, there were clear

precipitating events. These officers were facing an ongoing existen- tial crisis, and their families were concerned, but typically not about the potential for suicide. Frequently, these were officers who had recently retired or were hoping to retire soon. Across the officers, very few had dreamed of being a corrections officer, but most had been excited for the opportunity when they first took the job. Then there were the handful of cases where there quite literally seemed to have been no signs of any preexisting struggle that family or friends could identify. These suicides seemed to the family to come out of nowhere, and were possibly trig- gered by a single event. We describe these as impulsive suicides — these officers seem to have simply lost per- spective in a moment, making a snap decision with devastating and lasting consequences. In these cases, there was a triggering event, but none of the precursors. These officers tended to be among the youngest officers, and their deaths are among the most difficult to comprehend. Across the officers, very few had

dreamed of being a corrections offi- cer, but most had been excited for the opportunity when they first took the job. For some, that initial excitement faded only over time, while others seemed to struggle with the realities of the work almost immediately. Al- though there were certainly officers who seemed to like their jobs and rarely complained, we walked away from a handful of the interviews feel- ing like the person never should have pursued work in corrections. As may already be clear, it is difficult to generalize about these cases. As we came to “know” these officers through our extensive case study methodology, we realized that it would be exceedingly difficult to describe them in collective terms without recognizing more differences than commonalities. As we use what we have learned from families and friends to write about the officers, most likely in a book that we plan to write over the coming year, we will do our best to fulfill our commitment of telling the stories of the officers’ lives and not just their deaths. Researching workplace wellness In June 2018, we launched the second phase of this research, which involves one-on-one interviews with officers of all ranks who are currently working at the MADOC. The interview is conducted at their workplace, during their shift, in a private room with one of our inter- viewers. We have now conducted these intensive interviews with a random sample of more than 300 officers at all of the facilities across the MADOC. We have conducted almost 100 additional interviews

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