A purposive sample of employees was selected from a private, minimum-security correctional institution in the southern region of the United States in 1990 and again in 1997. In 1990, of the 70 full-time correctional personnel employed at the institution, 51 responded (73-percent response rate). In 1997, the number of correctional personnel increased to 96, with 50 percent responding. A questionnaire was used to examine the influence of occupational and physical stress on private institution correctional officers; participative management practices; and a variety of demographic variables on the dependent variable ("thoughts about quitting one's job"). Findings showed that after 7 years, the reasons why people considered quitting their jobs were similar. The most powerful predictor in both models was the amount of organizational stress experienced by the employees. As organizational stress increased, participants were more likely to think about terminating employment. Another significant variable was the atmosphere for participation. The greater the perception that respondents had about being able to participate in decision making within the institution, the less they thought about leaving. 108 references