CENTENNIAL HONORS COLLEGE
Western Illinois University
Undergraduate Research Day 2015
Poster Presentation
Occupational Safety and Health concerns in Correctional Facilities
Faith Jackson, Tiara Lang, Autumn Bouton, Emily Trevino, Kelsey Melody, and Cali
Edwards
Faculty Mentor: Fetene Gebrewold
Health Sciences
Correctional staff are any employees working in a jail or prison. Examples of correctional staff include
many different occupations, such as, security officers, nurses, and wardens. Correctional staff are exposed
to a higher risk and suffer from mental and physical health conditions. There are numerous contributing
factors that cause these health issues. The staff works in a stressful environment and is repeatedly exposed
to trauma. In addition, at any time, they are placed face to face with felons. The CDC indicated that jails
and prisons are unpredictable settings that focus more on security than infections. Employees can be
exposed to blood borne diseases. Data was collected using the CDC website, literature articles, and the
Department of Corrections statistics. The purpose of this study is to inform and expose the public of the
health risks faced by employees in correctional facilities.