FIJI Corrections Service Acting Commissioner Auta Moceisuva has acknowledged that prison officers can be psychologically affected by the challenging conditions inside correctional facilities, although he says the situation is being actively managed through counselling and support systems.
Speaking to The Fiji Times online portal The Lens@177, Mr Moceisuva said the impact of prison life on officers has been evident historically, particularly in high-stress incidents.
“I think it happens in prison,” he said.
“I know they go through the PSTD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), the effect of something that affected their mind.”
He said the nature of correctional work often places officers in prolonged and intense contact with inmates, which can take a mental and emotional toll.
“I think for now, the prison officers are like prisoners themselves. Because they stay with the prisoners inside the cell for eight hours. And sometimes they get affected by the impact of being locked.”
Mr Moceisuva said officers were encouraged to manage stress and seek support when needed, with psychological services available within the institution.
“The fact that it’s very difficult to … so we encourage our officers to de-stress as much as possible.”
He said while psychological effects were monitored, the situation was not considered critical at this stage.
“It’s not serious to the stage where it is a concern to us. Sometimes we see indicators of this from the officers, we refer them to our psychologists and our counsellors to address their problems.”
