NCJ Number
141359
Date Published
Unknown
Length
21 pages
Annotation
Correctional officer attitudes constitute a crucial variable in how the prison system interacts with inmates, and this paper examines whether the inclusion of females and minorities as correctional officers in Texas is justified, given their attitudes toward inmate treatment programs.
Abstract
A controversy has existed for more than two decades over the need for inmate treatment and rehabilitation efforts. This controversy has shifted between efforts focused on treatment and rehabilitation and efforts to dispense harsh punishment for inmates. The proposition that the induction of females and minorities into the correctional workplace will result in more compassion toward inmates and reduce tensions and hostilities within prisons is yet to be established. To evaluate correctional officer attitudes in Texas, data were collected from a sample of 845 uniformed correctional officers employed by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Most responding correctional officers were white males and married and had an average age of 36 years. Study variables included the extent of officer preference for rehabilitation and counseling, officer concern with corruption of authority, the extent of an officer's preference for direct contact with inmates, and punitive orientation. Gender was not significantly related to correctional officer attitudes toward inmate treatment program. Attitudinal variations among correctional officers, however, were significantly related to officer ethnicity/race. Attitudes of minority correctional officers toward inmate treatment programs appeared to be statistically different from those exhibited by white male correctional officers. 38 references, 4 tables, and 1 figure