Counselor Reactions to Work in Prison Settings

Based on fieldwork and an employee survey conducted in three California prisons, this paper discusses the work responsibilities of correctional counselors and compares their work adjustment to other prison personnel. Counselors were described as primarily casework services providers and similar to the other uniformed staff included in the study in their reactions to prison work. The divergent group was found to be other mental health providers, psychologists and psychiatrists, who reported lower stress levels, but also Tower work satisfaction and were less positive about co-workers.