SPUR Project

2008 Winners (1 of 15)

An Investigation into the Factors affecting Occupational Burnout and Stress for Staff working within a Sex Offender Prison Undergoing Expansion
Supervisors: Dr Belinda Winder, Dr Mick Gregson (Psychology)

During 2007-8 HMP Whatton underwent considerable organisational change - expanding in size to become the largest sex offender prison and treatment centre in Europe, with a further expansion planned for May 2008 (capacity in 2007 was 761 male sex offenders). The change in size was accompanied by a change in the nature of the inmate population and in the experience of the staff group. The research project focussed on the staff of HMP Whatton. The student was involved in all stages of the research, which included devising scales for a questionnaire which was distributed to prison staff to examine levels of stress and occupational burnout. The questionnaire assessed how factors such as age, gender, experience and type of role at prison, together with a number of personality traits, might predict or mediate stress and burnout. The project also aimed to highlight coping strategies used by the staff in order that the prison may be able to help facilitate dealing with occupational change, and collate qualitative data on attitudes of staff to the ongoing changes (for example, examining how such changes could be made less stressful for prison staff and prisoners).