Stress Factors and Impacts Toward Wardens in Surabaya Prison

Anggi Isworo

, Suryanto

and Khanifatul Khusna

Post Graduate School, Universitas Airlangga, Jl. Airlangga 4-6, Surabaya, Indonesia

Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia

Department of Public Administration, University of Teknologi Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia

Keywords: Stress, Factors, Impacts, Wardens.

Abstract: Work stress becomes phenomenal issue nowadays since many studies prove that numerous workers are

working under this condition. Warden can be regarded as one of stressful profession. The present study tries

to elaborate factors and it impacts toward warden in Surabaya prison. Qualitative method using interview is

used as method of the present study. The data obtained were analysed using interpretative

phenomenological analysis to elaborate the structure, essence of experience for wardens concerning stress

factors, its impacts. The present research concludes that lack of facilities, infrastructures, work pressures

and low amount of reward or compensation are the main factors of work stress for the warden. The impacts

of work stress among warden are burnout, decreasing job performance, absenteeism and tardiness.

1 INTRODUCTION

High number of criminal rates in Indonesia demand

large number of warden to manage operational

system of prison. Moreover, warden is viewed as

one of the most hunted position in Indonesia since

this position is viewed as promising position. It can

be seen from the high number of job seekers in

Indonesia trying to apply this position. In fact,

numerous studies claim that working in a prison

environment affects warden with a higher level of

job stress, social and mental problems, followed by

decreasing of job performance (Paoline et al, 2006).

Hans mentioned that stress is a condition or situation

where the force, pressure, or tension subjected upon

an individual upon an individual who resists these

forces and attempt to uphold its true state (Hans,

1936). Job performance reduction is highly

influenced by work stresses that are faced by

employers including warden. Research findings

show that stressful working conditions are actually

associated with increased absenteeism, tardiness,

and intentions of employee to quit their jobs (Dar et

al, 2011).

There are numerous factors that stimulate work

stress such as frustration, conflicts, unclear

directions, conflicting roles, too many tasks, not

enough resources, and high pressures. Individual’s

responses toward stressors can be defined as job

stress (Butcher, Mineka & Hooley, 2007, p. 145;

Lambert, Hogan, & Tucker, 2009). Furthermore,

there are other factors which also stimulate stressors

mainly for warden such as lack of respect from

numerous offenders those serving long sentences,

poor public image toward warden, and overtime

(Finn, 2007). Suryanto explained that stress is a

process that faced by individuals in form of threat or

suffer which stimulate their emotional coupled with

behaviour (Suryanto, 2009).

Numerous studies show that wardens are

experiencing great deal with stress in their working

environment which may lead to job performance

reduction, tardiness, coupled with job burnout.

Moreover, it is found that around 20% to 39%

wardens experienced burnout and stress but only

16% of those workers expressed job dissatisfaction

(Adlina et al, 2007).

Stress can be managed in various ways since

there are numerous alternative solutions can be

applied to reduce stress such as training, learning,

meditating, and many more (Skinner et al, 2007).

Above mentioned approaches in decreasing stress is

known as stress management. Moreover, according

to Munandar in his study describes that stress can be

managed in four ways which are: organizational

engineering, organizational personality, mind

relaxation, and physical activity (2014:402). The

Isworo, A., Suryanto, . and Khusna, K.

Stress Factors and Impacts Toward Wardens in Surabaya Prison.

DOI: 10.5220/0007554709570960

In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference Postgraduate School (ICPS 2018), pages 957-960

ISBN: 978-989-758-348-3

957

aim of present study is to elaborate stress factors and

impacts toward warden in Surabaya prison.

2 METHOD

The present study uses interview in Bahasa

Indonesia in regard to the research topic conducted.

The questions were focused on stress factors and

impacts. Interview is used to collect the data since

this technique is suitable to examine further about

the respondent’s point of view, feelings, and

perceptions (Boyce & Palena, 2006). Surabaya

prison covers an area around 3.000 m

and comprise

of 9 blocks that able to accommodate ideally 504

inmates and 70 wardens.

The interview was conducted among 15 wardens

as the respondents. It uses 15 respondents since the

present study elaborates homogenous group

(Surabaya prison). Latham argues that “15 as a

minimum for most qualitative interview studies

works very well when the participants are

homogeneous. Homogeneous means a particular

“position” or level (e.g., top level executives) in the

organization, a particular type of employee (e.g.,

customer service representatives), so on and so

forth” (Latham, 2013). The respondents were

selected based on their record of work performance.

The data obtained were analysed using interpretative

phenomenological analysis to elaborate the

structure, essence of experience for wardens

concerning stress factors, effects and management.

The present study takes 3 months in which 2 months

for conducting the interview with all respondents

and 1 month for analysing the data.

3 RESULT AND DISCUSSION

3.1 Stress Factors

There are numerous factors that stimulate work

stress. Based on interview conducted with wardens,

work stress stimulated by three factors which are

facilities and infrastructures of the prison, job

pressure, and rewards. Prisons in Indonesia

including Surabaya are lack of facilities and

infrastructures. Latest data published by Indonesian

Ministry of Law and Human Rights showed that

prisons in Surabaya lack of facilities and

infrastructures (Online Database System of Inmates,

2018). This condition stimulates working stress for

the wardens since they have to handle more inmates.

In other words, wardens have to provide extra

attention since they have to handle more inmates.

Over capacity in the prison can easily create conflict

with other inmates. Therefore wardens need to

provide extra awareness in order to avoid conflict

among inmates. Furthermore, lack of facilities and

infrastructures stimulate anxiousness, depression,

confusion and bored which encourage inmates to be

aggressive. The phenomena concerning facilities and

infrastructures in Surabaya prison increase stress

level of the wardens.

The next factor of work stress is work pressure.

Lack of facilities coupled with infrastructures

creates high tension for wardens in performing their

duty. Furthermore, sometimes they feel insecure

since they have to monitor more inmates. The ratio

between warden and inmate is around 1:158 which

means every day each warden holds responsible to

handle 158 inmates in all situations and

circumstances (Online Database System of Inmates

2018). Insecurity of warden in performing their duty

is reasonable since riot can be happened anytime. As

an example, riot that happened in Kerobokan prison,

Bali caused by over capacity of inmates (Liputan 6,

2016). Furthermore, over capacity also stimulates

high opportunity for inmates to escape from the

prison. It shows that work pressure for wardens

become higher since they are not only responsible to

foster inmates but also to reduce opportunity for

inmates escape from the prison.

Low reward or compensation given to warden is

last but not the least factor that influence work stress

for wardens. As Linder (1998) cited in Skinner

(2009, 28) mentioned that positive rewards will

stimulate employee motivation, meanwhile negative

rewards will not increase motivation of the

employee. Based on the interview, reward or

compensation given to warden are not proportional

compared to risks and pressures that are received by

the warden. Moreover, they assume that their job is

dangerous since they have to deal with inmates that

possess various background and cases. They also

realize that their job also influence their behaviour

within family and society. Therefore, in their point

of view compensation and reward given to them are

not sufficient.

3.2 Stress Impacts

Work stress stimulate numerous infringement of

rules coupled with decreasing job performance of

worker including warden. Lack of facilities and

infrastructures, high pressures of work, and low

reward or compensation stimulate work stress.

Factors mentioned above create demotivation,

ICPS 2018 - 2nd International Conference Postgraduate School

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reduction of job performance, absenteeism and

tardiness. Most of the respondents claim that in 2017

they commonly receive warning from the human

resource department because they violate

disciplinary regulations (absence from their duty and

coming late). Moreover, respondents claim that their

negative habits are caused by working condition

(over capacity of inmates, lack of infrastructures and

facilities, high working pressure). It shows that work

stress stimulated by working condition stimulate

wardens perform negative habits. Surprisingly,

respondents mentioned that their motivation in

performing duty is increasing after they receive

reward or compensation from the department.

Absence records from human resource department

show that in July, negative habits of warden is low.

It is happened since wardens received reward or

compensation from the department in June. The

respondents say that although reward or

compensation is not sufficient but it is able to

increase their motivation to perform their duty. It

can be said that reward able to boost their motivation

as Freedman (1978) cited in Danish (2010) stated

that “Employees take recognition as their feelings of

value and appreciation and as a result it boots up

morale of employee which ultimately increases

productivity of organizations”.

Respondents stated that from 2014 to 2017 there

were 5 wardens demoted from their rank since they

performed medium and serious disciplinary

violations. The violations are regarded as medium

when wardens absence from their duty without any

confirmation and coming late. It is regarded as

serious when prisoners able to escape from prison

because of negligence of the warden and they are

using illegal drugs. Most of the respondents (11 out

of 15 respondents) believe that wardens performing

disciplinary violations to reduce stress.

4 CONCLUSIONS

The present study concludes that stress factors

among wardens in Surabaya prison are caused by

numerous factors such as lack of facilities,

infrastructures, work pressures and low amount of

reward or compensation. Those factors stimulate

negative impacts such as burnout, decreasing job

performance, absenteeism and tardiness.

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