NCJ Number
97070
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 28 Issue: 3 Dated: (1984) Pages: 169-175
Date Published
1984
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Research shows that prison guards are neither homogeneous enough nor different enough from other workers to be viewed as a subculture. Thus, applying the subculture concept is not a useful way to address correctional personnel issues.
Abstract
Unlike research on the police, studies of correctional officers have not identified a process or a common value system which suggests a genuine subculture. New corrections officers often are informally instructed by inmates, not peers. Prison guards work on scattered assignments which emphasize personal accountability rather than collective responsibility. In addition, correctional officers are much less likely than police to socialize when not at work. Guards and inmates generally are not divided into hostile camps, but rely on each other for a safe and orderly existence inside the prison. Recent studies demonstrate that no consensual anti-inmate sentiments exist among correctional officers. Thinking in terms of a guard subculture can have negative results. Managers are unlikely to tap an officer's interest in Managers are unlikely to tap an officer's interest in human service roles if they hold a stereotyped view of an officer as preferring security tasks, and union representatives may ignore workers' desires for more interesting and challenging work. Although studies show little evidence of correctional officers' subcultural attitudes, they reveal a common misperception among correctional officers: that their peers are more anti-inmate and procustodial than they actually are. Attention to the processes that support this myth can give direction to prison leadership and provide opportunities for recognizing guards' diversity and their potential contributions to prison life other than security. The paper includes eight references.