Introduction. The paper describes the results of the research involving junior and midlevel officers of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in Tver Oblast. Officers maintain the state security, work unsocial hours, experience stress caused by interaction with convicts. All these lead to the problem of personal changes in professional activity. There is a need to study and overcome professional burnout to prevent negative consequences and improve the way officers perform their duties.
 The aim of the research is to study the signs of professional burnout among correctional officers and determine the factors facilitating its occurrence.
 Methods. The basic techniques and methods comprise the questionnaire “Assessment of professional maladaptation” (O. N. Rodina), the questionnaire “Determination of integral forms of aggressive communication” (V. V. Boyko), The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) adapted by N. E. Vodopyanova, the questionnaire “Professional deformation of correctional officers” (E. M. Danilina). An additional survey included “Test of meaning-life orientations” (MLO) (D.A. Leontiev).
 Results. The research revealed the significant components of the model of professional burnout of a correctional system officer. They include external locus of control, emotional shifts, work experience as a penal system officer, tendency to auto aggression, ability to become violent, decrease in activity, enjoying aggressive behaviour and ability to reflect aggression. The study found that the external locus of control is correlated with a high and moderate level of professional burnout. Beside the external locus of control, the main personal characteristics influencing the development of professional burnout of pretrial detention centre officers are emotional shifts with positive correlation with psycho-emotional exhaustion. According to the data, the factors of professional burnout of pretrial detention centre officers are personal features related to the emotions and volition of a person.