At Desert Waters, we are laser-focused on improving staff wellness. Over the years, we have emphasized strengthening staff’s social health—the quality of their interactions with coworkers and supervisors—as a key pathway to well-being.
However, another important contributor is often overlooked in U.S. corrections: the quality of staff’s interactions with incarcerated individuals.
This is a controversial topic. Concerns about fraternization and manipulation, along with entrenched “us versus them” cultures, often shut down discussion. Yet the quality of these interactions has a direct impact on staff wellness.
Poor-quality interactions create potentially preventable experiences that over time can damage staff’s wellbeing in at least three ways—through:
- Conflict and the accompanying stress response, which increase physical and psychological strain and the risk of assault
- Moral injury, due to witnessing or committing acts that violate deeply held values, leading to emotional distress, guilt, and shame, and additional stress responses
- Loss of meaning and purpose, which erodes job satisfaction and ultimately wounds a person’s spirituality
All three contribute to Corrections Fatigue. This damage rarely stays contained. Like a contagion, negativity spreads among staff and incarcerated individuals, fueling more conflict, moral injury, and loss of meaning. Correctional environments function as ecosystems—everything affects everyone.
What Is an Ecosystem?
An ecosystem is a community of living and non-living elements interacting in ways that either sustain or disrupt balance.
A pond is a simple example. Fish, plants, and microorganisms depend on each other and on stable conditions. When harmful substances enter the water, the entire system is disrupted—triggering algae overgrowth, oxygen loss, and other changes that threaten all life within it.
Prisons and jails function in a similar way. Staff and incarcerated individuals share the same environment and are affected by the same conditions.
When abuse—such as humiliation, intimidation, threats, or retaliation—is introduced into this environment by either group, it poisons the climate and spreads. Those who are mistreated may overreact or displace their distress onto others. Without intervention, a domino effect follows. Staff may eventually carry this negativity home, affecting their families and communities.
Poor-Quality Interactions Defined
Poor-quality interactions include treating incarcerated individuals as “lowlifes,” “trash,” or using other dehumanizing labels. These attitudes may show up as disrespect, demeaning comments, or even cruel and inhumane behavior.
Causing Avoidable Conflict
No one responds well to disrespect. Public humiliation, especially, leaves a lasting impact. When the opportunity arises, retaliation may follow—sometimes in the form of assault.
Respect can be difficult when safety feels threatened, particularly for staff who have experienced assault or abuse. Maslow’s hierarchy reminds us that safety comes first. Yet there is a paradox: respectful interactions can also increase safety.
We have heard many accounts of staff who avoided harm because they consistently treated incarcerated individuals with fairness and dignity. Professional, respectful interactions support safety, mental health, and moral well-being—and require emotional regulation and self-control. (See the September 2025 Correctional Oasis article, “Do You Qualify with Your Emotions?”)
Experiencing or Causing Moral Injury
Violations of humane treatment—toward incarcerated individuals or staff—can create deep internal conflict and moral injury. Staff may struggle with guilt, shame, or even suicidal thoughts after witnessing or participating in actions that violate their values. Moral injury often coexists with PTSD, anxiety, and depression.
As one retired Correctional Officer put it:
“Every time I treated inmates in ways that robbed them of their dignity, something in me died.”
Loss of Meaning and Purpose
Most people want their work to matter. Pay alone is not enough. Without meaning, work feels empty.
Meaning comes from protecting others, encouraging them, and helping them improve—including incarcerated individuals. This requires recognizing their humanity and limitations, and remembering that we are not their judges.
Treating others with contempt ultimately backfires.
Personally, it activates the body’s stress response, affecting health, mood, and relationships. Professionally, it makes the work more difficult and increases the likelihood of conflict—including assault.
We reap what we sow.
Moving Forward
Professionalism, fairness, and respect are not signs of weakness—they are practical tools that support safety and wellness.
To support this approach, corrections systems need:
- Working conditions that support emotional regulation
- Training on professional, respectful interactions
- Role modeling by experienced staff
This, in turn, requires strong leadership:
- Policies that support staff wellness and adequate rest
- Training in emotional intelligence
- Opportunities for staff to decompress and recover
When staff wellness is a true organizational priority, it creates the foundation for safety, professionalism, and a healthier correctional environment.
All stakeholders in corrections affect one another. No one is isolated from—or immune to—what happens within the system.
