Corrections_Today_March_April_2021_Vol.83_No.2

NIJ Update

NIJ-Funded Projects What follows is a summary of the research awards made under this solicitation. Three of the awards specifically address correctional agencies and officers, while the fourth award supports a study of law enforcement officers and correctional sheriff deputies. The research proj- ects will begin in January 2021, with the majority of findings expected in two to three years. Impact of Organizational Stress on Officer Wellness and Perceptions of Stress The first project, conducted by the Police Foundation, will assess the prevalence and impact of organiza- tional stress among law enforcement and correctional deputies in sheriffs’ offices. The project is designed to connect our understanding of orga- nizational stress across policing and corrections. The research team plans to recruit 60 police officers and 60 correctional deputies to complete questionnaires on stress, maintain sleep and activity logs, and wear a device that will capture heart rate variability, resting heart rate, physical activity, and sleep quality. The Police Foundation will also use agency-level data to capture shifts, assignments, ab- sences, and overall job performance. The research is expected to shed light on how organizational stress affects officers’ overall wellness and percep - tions of stress, and how those factors influence effectiveness on the job. Isolating the Impact of Organizational Stress Apart From Work-Related Stress This project will study or- ganizational stress affecting

Although the sources of organi- zational stress can be entrenched in an environment and can be difficult to overcome, it may be possible to mitigate these stressors through changes in policy. In light of the pandemic, and the waves of related occupational and personal stress, it has become particularly critical for correctional agencies to understand the sources of organizational stress- ors within their agencies so they can develop tools to address them reliably. The research suggests that organizational stress may be one of the only sources of stress these agencies can control. It is much harder to mitigate the operational stress arising from the very nature of a job. 4 NIJ seeks to provide assis- tance for both understanding the prevalence of these stressors and developing solutions to them. In fis - cal year 2020, NIJ issued a research solicitation supporting its Safety, Health, and Wellness portfolio that specifically addresses this issue. The portfolio facilitates research on the safety and wellness of staff in the entire criminal justice system, both police and correctional officers, as well as individuals involved with the system. Past research from this portfolio has focused on trauma and the chronic, debilitating stress brought on by traumatic events, such as PTSD. In light of concerns expressed by correctional officers about their job stress, NIJ recognized the impor- tance of organizational sources of stress that have been under-re- searched. 5 The Institute’s fiscal year 2020 solicitation requested research on the prevalence of organizational

stressors in police and corrections agencies, as well as strategies to mitigate them. These stressors include interpersonal conflict, a toxic work environment, mandatory overtime and fluctuating shifts, and a lack of control over one’s work environment. A primary goal of the research is to gain a clearer picture of the problems these stressors pose for line staff officers and how to limit their impact.

The research suggests that organizational

stress may be one of the only sources of stress these agencies can control. The strong response to NIJ’s solicitation from the research com- munity, along with the willingness of many correctional agencies to collaborate with researchers despite current operational challenges, underscores the vital importance of this topic for correctional officers. Given substantial interest within the field, NIJ was able to make three research awards that are expected to advance the study of organizational stressors in corrections agencies and one award that will advance the study of organizational stressors in sheriffs’ offices.

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