Carceral Camaraderie: Correlates of Carceral Staff–Coworker Attitudes and Helping Behavior

Relationships among staff are a core feature of carceral work yet remain understudied. This study advances understanding of carceral staff–coworker relationships by shifting the analytic focus from the outcomes of peer support to the personal and organizational factors that shape relationship quality and support behaviors among staff. This study analyzes data from 515 correctional officers employed in state prisons in Massachusetts and Texas, using survey responses from the Effects of Stress Among Correctional Officers, United States, 2017–2018 dataset. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression models were used to examine the influence of personal and organizational factors on two outcomes: staff attitudes toward their coworkers and staff helping behaviors toward their coworkers. Results indicate that factors such as burnout, emotional stress, gender, age, and institutional context significantly influence how carceral staff relate to and assist one another. These findings add to theory and offer practical insight for improving workplace dynamics.