Professional values-based orientation of specialists with extra-duty assignments (at the example of penitentiary system officers)

Introduction. Specific character of professional activity of the persons working in a Penitentiary System (hereafter - PS) gives the possibility to put it for the labor sphere with forcibly expressed high stress inducing character and extremeness in some cases. Fulfilling the socially important function of isolation and reformation of different categories of convicts penitentiary officers are prone to the deformation of personal values and to the modification of professional attitudes to employment-related tasks. However the problem of the content and structure of values-based orientations of PS officers does not reflect completely in scientific literature. Materials and Methodical Toolkit. The following methodical toolkits are used: “Diagnostics of values-based orientations of a personality” (N.A. Samoylik), vocational values questionnaire (D. Super), a test of life-purpose orientations (D.A. Leontyev). One hundred and fifty-eight respondents were diagnosed of whom eighty three were the officers of penitentiary institutions and seventy five were specialists of other labor spheres not belonging to the legal one as the sphere of professional activity. U-criterion of Mann-Whitney was used for the assessment of differences between the two sample groups according to the level of manifestation of the investigated characteristics. Results of the Survey and Discussions. The group of professional values of respondents consisted of professional skills and abilities being central to the fulfillment of employment-related tasks. The major vocational values including achievements, surroundings, supervisory relations, professional security, colleagues, status value and economic returns are defined. It is revealed that vocational values of penitentiary system officers are positively linked with the general life index reflecting personal and professional development pathway. Conclusions. Professional values-based orientations which give the possibility to organize working activity in accordance with service instructions and requirements of professional practice are of great importance for penitentiary institutions' officers as specialists with extra-duty assignments. Obtained results of the research allow to develop and put into practice the techniques of psychological follow-up and improvement of values-based orientations.