Understanding corrections fatigue and perceptions of natural landscaping at work: An exploratory study with staff at a corrections center for women

Abstract

Correctional employees face dangers inherent to correctional work which, when coupled with organizational and operational stressors, may converge into corrections fatigue (CF). Because such fatigue may relate to lower job commitment and fewer positive work behaviors, it is imperative to understand how staff cope with, and find respite from, their jobs. One such strategy may be engagement with the facility's natural environment. This quantitative and qualitative exploratory survey study measured 72 employees' perceptions and use of landscaped areas of a women's prison, and whether these data correlated with staffs' CF, affective organizational commitment (AOC), organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs), and their ability to find respite on the job. Staff reported neutral levels of CF, low levels of AOC, an inability to relax, and high levels of OCBs. Overall, staff rarely used the landscaped areas around the facility and did not perceive those areas as beneficial to them. Those experiencing higher levels of fatigue and less ability to relax used the landscape less. Those with stronger AOC report more positive use and perceptions of the landscape. These findings provide preliminary support for efforts to design and build more landscaped areas to support prison staffs' personal and professional health.