The Relationship between Job Stressors and Job Involvement among Correctional Staff: A Test of the Job Strain Model ERIC G. LAMBERT, NANCY L. HOGAN, KELLY CHEESEMAN and SHANNON M. BARTON-BELLESSA Eric G. Lambert is Professor of Criminal Justice, Wayne State University; Nancy L. Hogan is Professor of Criminal Justice, Ferris State University; Kelly Cheeseman is Professor of Criminal Justice, Messiah College; Shannon M. Barton-Bellessa is Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Indiana State University, USA Abstract: Much of the research on correctional staff over the past two decades has focused on how the job environment and demographic variables influence job stress and job satisfaction. The issue of job involvement has largely been ignored. As correctional employees are such an important part of corrections, understanding how job stressors affect job involvement is essential. An analysis of survey data from a private correctional facility in the US Midwest examined the effects of the relationship between the job stressors of role conflict, role ambiguity, role overload, and perceived dangerous of the job with job involvement. Multivariate analysis with ordinary least squares (OLS) regression indi- cated that role conflict and dangerousness of the job had significant effects on job involvement, but role ambiguity and role overload did not. It is hoped that this study will spark further research in the area. Keywords: correctional staff; job involvement; role conflict; role ambiguity; role overload; perceived dangerousness of the job Correctional facilities are an important part of most criminal justice systems across the globe. Historically, prisons have predominantly been publicly owned and operated; however, recent history has seen a prolif- eration of private correctional facilities. While there is a long history of private businesses providing some of the services and materials used in correctional facilities, entirely privately-owned and operated correctional facilities are a relatively new development, and private prisons are found in many different countries, such as Australia, the United Kingdom, and The Howard Journal Vol 52 No 1. February 2013 DOI: 10.1111/hojo.12002 ISSN 0265-5527, pp. 19–38 19 © 2012 The Authors The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice © 2012 The Howard League and Blackwell Publishing Ltd Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK