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| New study shows Canadian prison officer find job stressful, depressing |
| By Canadian Press |
| Published: 11/17/2003 |
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A day at the office for Linda Clermont can consist of being sexually harassed, working closely with pedophiles, risking exposure to hepatitis and finding people hanging from the ceiling. That's why the prison officer at a minimum-security prison in Ste-Anne-des-Plaines, Que., was more than happy to be part of an extensive survey released last Wednesday of the health and working conditions of correctional employees. The study, which was based on answers from almost 2,500 correctional officers across Canada, found that between 70 and 80 per cent of respondents described their jobs as stressful or very stressful. About 22 percent of those surveyed had been diagnosed with depression at least once during the past 10 years, a figure two to three times higher than rates reported among the general public, said Qussai Samak, the author of the study. Clermont said she has had some stress-related problems in her eight years as an officer, and was especially troubled to have to cut down an inmate who hanged herself. But her friends have helped her cope. Samak found the longer that people had been on the job, the more likely they were to find it very stressful. The union, which represents 5,700 employees, hopes to use the study's findings as leverage next week when it returns to the bargaining table with the Treasury Board and the Correctional Service of Canada. Federal officers have been negotiating a new contract for 19 months. One of the most contentious issues is early retirement. The union wants employees to be able to retire with 70 percent of their salary after 25 years of service, starting at age 50. Currently, workers meeting the criteria of age and years of service only receive 50 per cent of their salary, said union negotiator Michel Gauthier. Gauthier said union representatives presented their study earlier this month to Solicitor General Wayne Easter in the hopes of having him intervene in the negotiations. |
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