NCJ Number
147921
Date Published
1994
Length
61 pages
Annotation
This study assessed the attitudes of staff members assigned to U.S. Navy correctional facilities prior to assuming their duties and after 3 years on the job and investigated the effects of organizational characteristics on job satisfaction and other relevant attitudes.
Abstract
A questionnaire containing items from previously published instruments with items developed for the present study was designed and administered to approximately 1,700 Navy enlisted personnel serving as staff members in correctional facilities. Questionnaires were completed before and after initial training and again after 3 years on the job. Longitudinal analysis of changes in attitudes after training and after tenure on the job was also conducted with 332 of the 1,700 staff members. Results showed that newly assigned staff members expressed more positive attitudes toward confinees and endorsed a more treatment-oriented approach to corrections after training for the assignment than prior to training. Members of the longitudinal sample, however, expressed attitudes more similar to the pretraining level. Organizational factors having the greatest effect on job satisfaction involved feedback received and perceived managerial effectiveness. A positive and significant relationship was found between job satisfaction and attitudes toward confinees. Staff members who responded in a positive way about their overall job satisfaction indicated greater positive regard for confinees and a greater belief in the ability of confinees to change. Appendixes contain the study questionnaire and procedural and statistical information on study findings. 15 references and 10 tables