Law enforcement agencies in the United States take on a wide variety of organisational structures, but all rely upon the non-sworn employees who support the agencies' missions. The experiences of non-sworn law enforcement personnel are hardly remarked upon in both the emotional labor and criminal justice literature, despite accounting for up to 46% of employees in law enforcement agencies AU: Citations are not allowed in the Abstract. So the citation “(Reaves, 2011)” has been removed from the Abstract. Please check and confirm. This chapter aims to identify and contrast characteristics of emotional labor in both sworn and civilian employees in a large US corrections department.Drawing on quantitative data (n = 934) collected from an extensive survey project conducted in August 2018, we center emotional labor at its intersection with job function. Results show that while the accepted framework of emotional labor holds across job function, the established model of emotional labor and burnout does not adequately describe the experiences of the differing subgroups. Comparing and contrasting the emotional labor experience of employees who work alongside each other, but whose work lives have different demands, outcomes, and experiences, is critical for criminal justice administrators who are tasked with effectively managing both groups. The chapter concludes with a set of learning objectives that highlight the varying paths to burnout for both sworn and civilian employees.
This study examined how the emotional demands of police work affect both sworn officers and civilian employees (who make up nearly half of law enforcement agency staff) in a large corrections department. Survey data from 934 employees revealed that while both groups experience emotional stress from their jobs, they burn out in different ways and for different reasons. Understanding these differences is crucial for police administrators because current management approaches may not effectively address the distinct needs of civilian staff, who are essential to department operations but often overlooked in research and policy.
(AI-generated summary, v1, January 2026)
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