Abstract
<p>This U.S.-based study examines how hierarchical structures organize the emotional and relational labor of federal probation officers, shaping the institutional conditions under which justice work occurs. Drawing on a national survey of 423 officers and in‑depth interviews with 30 participants, we show how expectations of composure, distributions of relational work, and organizational norms that discourage strain disclosure create patterned vulnerabilities across the workforce. Officers in frontline roles, particularly women of color and men of color, report heightened demands and scrutiny, revealing how institutional cultures distribute emotional labor and constrain expressions of strain. Qualitative accounts illuminate the paradox of double exposure: officers are both survivors of trauma and practitioners managing others’ trauma within environments that reward stoicism and limit vulnerability. Strain emerges as the operational expression of structurally produced trauma, underscoring that trauma‑informed justice must begin with the workforce.</p>