The article is devoted to an empirical study of the socio-psychological aspects of the problem of emotional burnout and psychological stability of employees of penitentiary institutions in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The relevance of studying the problem is due to the fact that the requirements for employees of the penal system have increased in connection with the spread of a new coronavirus infection and the workload on staff has increased due to the tightening of sanitary and epidemiological requirements for working conditions.