Our nation’s jail system is one of the most demanding, stressful environments in public safety. As a profession, corrections requires constant vigilance, strong interpersonal skills and carefully cultivated resilience. This field demands people who can handle daily challenges ranging from staff shortages to inmate manipulation and mental health crises.
In the recent webinar, “How to Survive — and Thrive — In Corrections,” Lt. (Ret.) Gary Cornelius shares practical insights on managing stress and avoiding burnout while building a sustainable career in corrections. Drawing on decades of experience in the Fairfax County (Va.) Office of the Sheriff (as well as his work as an in-service trainer), Cornelius outlined strategies for long-term mental and physical wellness, effective leadership and work-life balance that are essential for lasting success in this field.
Here are some important takeaways from the discussion, with actionable steps for officers to protect their well-being while building a career in corrections.
The unique stressors of corrections work
Corrections professionals face tough working conditions. Unlike other law enforcement roles, where officers typically interact with the public for short bursts of time, jail personnel spend hours, days and even years supervising the same individuals. Prolonged exposure to often violent, manipulative offenders in high-risk environments creates unique stressors that can take a serious toll on both mental and physical health.
“This job will eat you up and spit you out if you let it,” Cornelius warns.
He identifies several key stressors impacting corrections personnel, including:
- Managing special populations: Mentally ill inmates, gang members, high-profile offenders and those at risk of suicide require constant monitoring and intervention. Not all inmates are the same, so corrections personnel must be flexible enough to adapt their approach to each inmate they come into contact with.
- Staff shortages and retention issues: Agencies across the country are struggling to recruit and retain quality personnel, which increases the likelihood of burnout. Extended and extra shifts tend to eat away at an officer’s personal time, exacerbating on-the-job frustrations.
- Inmate manipulation: Incarcerated individuals are keen observers of staff behavior. A stressed-out, burned-out officer is a prime target for manipulation, Cornelius says. Because of this, corrections officers must always be alert and aware of attempts to get them to bend or break the rules.
- Struggles with work-life balance: Shift work, mandatory overtime and the emotional toll of the job make it difficult for officers to leave work at work and fully engage in personal lives.
“Corrections is a demanding career, but it doesn’t have to consume you,” Cornelius explains. “There are ways to manage stress and find balance — you just have to be proactive about it.”
Managing stress to build a sustainable career
Trying to survive in corrections without effective stress management skills is a sure recipe for failure. Cornelius mentions how he experienced severe burnout in his own career, emphasizing that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to managing the physical and emotional toll of the job. Rather, it’s an ongoing process of developing healthy coping mechanisms and paying close attention to one’s physical and mental health while strengthening relationships with friends and loved ones.
Some of the most important strategies for effectively managing corrections officer wellness include:
- Recognize the warning signs of burnout: Fatigue, irritability, disengagement and physical health problems are early indicators of burnout. Ignoring these signs can lead to serious long-term consequences. While it’s important to self-monitor for these red flags, it’s also critical to ask loved ones to help you recognize when you’re too “in the weeds” to notice them.
- Separate work from home life: Corrections professionals must compartmentalize their stress, ensuring that they do not bring the job home. “When you walk through that door, leave the job behind,” Cornelius advises. While full compartmentalization may not be possible, putting healthy distance between “work mode” and “home mode” is crucial.
- Prioritize mental health: Talking to peer support groups, using employee assistance programs (EAPs) or seeking professional counseling can help officers process stress in a healthy, productive way. Leaning on your peer support team can also help.
- Stay physically active: Regular exercise, proper nutrition and hydration, and quality sleep are essential to maintaining mental clarity and resilience. Research points to the idea that exercise may be the ultimate antidepressant.
One of Cornelius’ most important pieces of advice is to avoid “stinking thinking” — negative mental habits and self-talk that can make stress worse. He referenced Dr. Ellen Kirschman’s work on law enforcement stress, explaining how mind reading, jumping to conclusions and self-blame can lead to a toxic mindset.
“You have to train your mind just like you train your body. If you allow negative thinking to take over, this job will break you,” he warns.
Officer wellness matters for safety and security
One of the most overlooked aspects of corrections work is the connection between officer wellness and facility security. A stressed, exhausted or burned-out officer is less alert, more vulnerable to manipulation and much more likely to make poor decisions — both on the job and in other areas of life.
Cornelius emphasizes that corrections officer wellness is directly linked to the safety of staff, inmates, and the facility as a whole. Research backs this up:
- Over 50% of corrections officers suffer from high blood pressure, digestive issues and other chronic health conditions linked to stress.
- Sleep deprivation has a major impact on performance — some officers work 17- to 18-hour shifts, often leading to dangerous lapses in judgment.
- Correctional officers have a significantly higher suicide risk than the rest of the U.S. population.
“If we don’t take care of ourselves,” Cornelius says, “we become a liability — not just to ourselves, but to our coworkers and the people we supervise.” To a large degree, public safety depends on having healthy, mentally centered people staffing our nation’s jails.
Here are some ways correctional institutions can help promote wellness for their employees:
- Provide regular, meaningful wellness training: Not just on-the-job tactics, but also emotional survival skills.
- Offer peer support programs: Officers need to feel comfortable discussing mental health without fear of stigma. Note that it may be effective to create peer support teams that draw from multiple facilities so officers can talk to peers who perform similar functions in other locations.
- Encourage leadership engagement: Supervisors should check in with their teams regularly, ensuring officers feel supported and valued. It’s hard to overstate the importance of showing genuine interest in the well-being of your rank-and-file employees.
- Recognize officers for their work: A simple “thank you” or kudos for a job well done boosts morale and engagement. This is especially effective when it’s sincere!
Looking forward to a healthy retirement
One of the most compelling points Cornelius makes is that too many correctional officers spend decades counting down the days to retirement — without making realistic plans for what happens next. The highly structured, demanding nature of the job prompts many officers to focus solely on surviving each shift rather than preparing for life beyond the badge.
“It’s sad to see people spend their entire careers just trying to get through each shift, only to retire and feel lost,” Cornelius observes. Corrections officers who fail to prepare for life after the job, he says, often find themselves struggling with financial instability, health problems and a loss of purpose.
Rather than simply enduring a career in corrections, officers should take proactive steps to ensure they retire with stability, good health, and a sense of fulfillment.
Here are four essential ways to make that happen:
- Start financial planning early: Many correctional officers assume their pension will be enough to sustain them, only to realize that it doesn’t provide the financial security they hoped. Financial planning should start early in an officer’s career — not in the final years before retirement. For more information on public safety financial planning, see our Financial Wellness webinar series.
- Find hobbies and interests outside of work: Don’t wait until your last day on the job to start exploring new interests. Some retirees find working in a different, low-stress capacity helps them adjust. Jobs in security, training or consulting allow officers to use their skills in new ways.
- Maintain physical and mental health: Corrections is a physically and mentally demanding profession, and the effects of long-term stress, poor sleep and sedentary habits don’t just disappear in retirement. Making health a priority before and after retirement ensures a longer, more fulfilling life.
- Give back: Retired correctional officers can stay engaged and give back by mentoring recruits, teaching at academies, volunteering in community programs or serving on advisory boards to share their expertise and guide future leaders.
The ultimate goal, according to Cornelius, is not just to survive a career in corrections — but to thrive in retirement as well.
Choosing success and longevity
Completing a successful career in corrections is possible, but it requires careful planning and conscious effort. Agencies must prioritize corrections officer wellness, and officers must take personal responsibility for their mental and physical health. As Cornelius puts it, “No one else is going to manage your stress for you. You have to take control of your well-being, your career and your future.”
With the right mindset, strategies, and support systems, corrections professionals can build rewarding careers and retire with their health and happiness intact. The choice to thrive starts today.
