Respondents (366 males and 104 females) were correctional personnel from six public correctional institutions in one State and two private correctional facilities in another State. Physical stress level was determined with the Selye Health Scale, and occupational stress was assessed with the Occupational Environment Scale. Female correctional personnel were found to have lower occupational stress levels and significantly higher physical stress levels than their male cohorts. Eighty-four percent of the male respondents but only 70 percent of the female respondents reported having direct contact with inmates. This may contribute to the lower occupational stress reported by the women. Although females are apparently less susceptible to serious illness than males, they are prone to suffer from mild psychological distress and to exhibit more acute symptoms. Being more sensitive to the early signs of stress, women are more likely than men to attempt to alleviate it. This may explain why female correctional personnel exhibited higher physical-stress levels than males. 18 references, 2 tables, and 1 figure