A new study from Neil Boyd, professor of criminology, raises concerns about the severity of job violence and stress faced by BC correctional officers. The study, Correctional Officers in British Columbia, 2011: Abnormal Working Conditions, tracked more than 200 BC correctional officers during spring and summer 2011. The study found significant numbers of workers had been physically assaulted or threatened by inmates; exposed to blood, feces, spit and urine; and had responded to requests for staff assistance and to medical emergencies. More than 90 per cent cited more difficulty and stress in their jobs in recent years.

“The provincial government needs to invest more human capital in corrections,” says Boyd, who created the survey with consultation from the BC Government Employees’ Union (BCGEU) and individual correctional officers.