Abstract
<p>Correctional officers work in demanding environments, yet research has mainly examined occupational stressors and distal outcomes such as burnout, rather than the concrete unwanted actions, thoughts, and feelings officers experience in daily prison work. This qualitative study mapped self-reported unwanted overt and covert behavior among 13 experienced Flemish correctional officers. Semi-structured interviews examined unwanted responses, their contexts, the goals they conflicted with, and alternative behaviors officers identified. Reflexive thematic analysis identified work-related goals including safety, humanity and respect, rehabilitation, satisfaction, and daily order. Unwanted overt behaviors included abrupt communication, acting against one's preferred response, and reduced supportiveness toward specific individuals. Unwanted covert responses included judgmental thoughts, demotivation, and frustration, linked to workload, repeated requests, threatening situations, imposed decisions, and difficult interactions. Participants identified preventive, reflective, and recovery-based strategies, though many struggled to formulate alternatives spontaneously. Findings offer a descriptive basis for training and reflective-practice approaches addressing unwanted behavior in context.Keywords: correctional staff; prison work; unwanted behavior; occupational stress; qualitative research</p>