Correctional Officer Attitudes Toward Inmates with Mental Disorders

Abstract

The prevalence of mental disorder among state prison inmates is well documented and either on the rise or more extensively diagnosed. Inmates with mental illness are most often in general population and in the custody of correctional officers, yet little it known about officers' views toward these inmates. The research reported here is based on a large sample of correctional officers from a U.S. state. In addition to answering general survey questions, each officer received one of six randomly assigned vignettes that varied mental health symptoms (schizophrenia, major depression, no disorder) and the presence (or absence) of violent behavior in a male inmate. These findings focus on officer attitudes toward mental illness generally and their own experiences with mental illness. Based on the vignette inmate, officers were asked questions about the causes of mental illness and how inmates with mental illness should be managed in a correctional setting. Findings show that officers distinguish between symptoms of schizophrenia and major depression, evaluating schizophrenia as a more serious problem than either depression or no symptoms of mental illness. Further, the presence of violent behavior results in officers viewing the inmates' problems as more serious, especially when violence and mental disorder are both present. These findings have implications for training in the area of correctional mental health.