By Leiscehn Stelter
In Public Safety
The suicide rate among correctional officers is significantly higher than other occupations and twice as high as police officers. Yet, the topic of suicide and the stressors contributing to suicide are rarely discussed by corrections administrators.
In fact, very few correctional facilities have properly trained counselors or established mental wellness programs to help correctional officers cope with the unique stressors that result from working with criminal offenders.
While police agencies have taken many years to address the issue of suicide, it’s finally a topic being discussed. Law enforcement leaders are encouraging officers to seek help, mandating counseling after violent or traumatic incidents, and providing specialized counseling to help officers manage stress so they don’t turn to destructive coping behavior. And, most importantly, police agencies are emphasizing confidentiality and removing the fear that officers may face punishment for seeking help.
So why are correctional agencies, which have considerably higher numbers of officers killing themselves, not doing more to address the issue of mental health and suicide?
Full story: Correctional Officers Are Killing Themselves
