Mindfulness Training for Correctional Staff: A Randomized Pilot Study

Corrections staff experience high levels of stress in their jobs, often leading to turnover, absenteeism, psychosomatic diseases, and burnout. Stress can contribute to myriad professional and personal challenges such as depression, poor physical health, family conflict, and decreased life/job satisfaction. In efforts to develop wellness trainings specifically for corrections staff, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PADOC) conducted a small, exploratory pilot test of a mindfulness training program with a randomized sample (N = 56) of facility- and community-based corrections staff. Without correcting for multiple tests in exploratory analyses, assessments collected at baseline and approximately 4 weeks later found statistically significant differences for several of the 19 questionnaires, specifically addressing mindfulness, fatigue, positive affect, decision-making, and resilience. After applying a Bonferroni correction, significance disappeared. This small exploratory pilot suggests the potential of mindfulness training for improving several functional domains in corrections staff in efforts to increase wellness.