While essential to public safety, correctional work remains largely hidden from public view. This means the public relies heavily on media representations to understand correctional systems and the people that work inside them, often leading to inaccurate and stigmatized views of correctional work. Literature from America and the United Kingdom has repeatedly shown that corrections work is stigmatised as less prestigious than other paramilitary or public safety work, which can negatively impact on the wellbeing of corrections staff. However, no such data has been collected in Australia. Therefore, two studies aimed to 1) measure Australian public perceptions of corrections and other public safety occupations, and 2) assess the impact of perceived public perceptions of correctional work on the wellbeing and turnover intentions of Australian correctional officers. Study 1 results will be presented including Australian public ratings of the prestige, social standing, and honesty and ethics of corrections personnel (correctional officers and parole officers).

 

These will be compared to Australian public ratings of other public safety personnel (police officers, firefighters, paramedics, emergency medical dispatchers, military personnel) and international ratings of corrections personnel. Study 2 will build on these results to ascertain whether public perceptions of corrections work significantly impact correctional officer wellbeing and turnover intentions. These results can be used to enhance the public image of corrections work and support corrections staff wellbeing, potentially improving recruitment and retention to address skills shortages in the sector.