NCJ Number
168120
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 24 Issue: 5 Dated: (1996) Pages: 437-448
Date Published
1996
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This article investigates correctional officers' preferences for training (service vs security) to see if they differ by gender.
Abstract
The evolving concept of the jail and the role of the correctional officers in that social institution dictates the need for some movement from security to service emphases in jail training. Some research suggests that female correctional staff may have more of a service orientation than males. However, the bulk of the criminal justice personnel literature indicates that job attitudes and assessments of correctional work tend to differ little by gender. This article analyzes data drawn from a six-jail study and finds that women correctional officers, in general, do not manifest a greater affinity for a service orientation in training types than their male counterparts. However, these methods of gathering information and of categorizing it into service versus security preferences may be inadequate, unintentionally muting real differences. In addition, as most training topics are predetermined by jail administrators, correctional officers' expressed preferences may be reflecting actual training taken. Tables, notes, references