How conflict ‘bleeds over’ for correctional staff: exploring work-family conflict through correctional subculture

Abstract

ABSTRACT In recent decades, researchers have produced a wealth of knowledge on the consequences of working within the prison for correctional staff and have documented an array of negative work-related outcomes. Within this line of inquiry, a small but growing area of study has emerged that examines the imbalance between work demands and home life – termed work-family conflict. Researchers categorize work-family conflict into three dimensions, including strain-based, behavior-based and time-based conflict. However, the work-family conflict literature for correctional staff lacks in-depth qualitative investigation that explores how these types of conflict emerge. In this study, we draw from 18 focus groups of correctional staff across all adult facilities in one state to explore how the types of work-family conflict manifest for correctional staff. We find that each dimension of conflict reportedly manifested through a different theme: emotional disconnection for strain-based conflict, correctional instinct for behavior-based conflict, and prisonizing the home for time-based conflict. Furthermore, we analyzed the manifestations of work-family conflict within a correctional subculture lens to understand the mechanisms that drive these manifestations.