SUMMARY The role of occupation in the dynamics of health and disease has long been recognized. Workers who reported satisfaction with their work have been found to be healthier than those who were not satisfied and job satisfaction correlates with global measures of mental health stability as documented by the World Health Organization. This relationship can be observed across occupations including correctional settings. While several studies have examined the psychological health of prisoners, only few published studies in Nigeria have examined this important aspect among correctional officers who look after these prisoners. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity and to examine their relationship with job dissatisfaction among prison officials in Abeokuta, Ogun state, Nigeria. A census of all correctional officers present at the time of this study was conducted at the first stage during which they were screened for ‘probable psychiatric morbidity’ using GHQ-28. Those with a probable psychiatric morbidity and 15% of those who were GHQ-negative were evaluated for definite psychiatric morbidity using the M.I.N.I plus. Job satisfaction was measured using Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire – short version. The mean age of correctional officers was 40.27 years (S.D ± 7.732) and most of the respondents were males (77%), married (91.1%), had one wife (91.1%) and had more than three children (51.8%). The highest level of educational attainment among correctional officers was ordinary or higher diploma (53.9%) with a mean length of service of 14.95 years (S.D ± 9.92). The result showed that 26.7% of respondents had probable psychiatric morbidity with a weighted prevalence of psychiatric morbidity of 46.1%. Dissatisfied correctional officers were five times more likely to have a psychiatric disorder. Correctional officers are at risk of experiencing psychiatry morbidity like any other occupational group. Mental health strategies including education and screening should be integrated into the health management culture of the prison organization for the purpose of preventative and early intervention.