From the viewpoint of the officers, court decisions and mandates have seriously infringed upon their authority, compromising their position vis-avis inmates and making it more difficult for them to perform their duties. Administrative, operational, and procedural changes are perceived as advancing the welfare of prisoners at the expense of the interests of the guards. Judicial intervention has thus led to heightened feelings of several forms of work alienation. An empirical assessment of these processes is presented using data obtained from 138 guards in four jails. 1 table, 3 notes, and 30 references. (Author abstract modified)