NCJ Number
64616
Date Published
1979
Length
18 pages
Annotation
RESULTS ARE REPORTED FROM A SURVEY CONDUCTED IN THE FALL OF 1978 TO DETERMINE THE LEVEL OF REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN THE MASSACHUSETTS CRIMINAL JUSTICE WORKFORCE.
Abstract
SURVEY FORMS WERE SENT TO 684 AGENCIES; 460 RESPONDED. THIS RESPONSE REPRESENTED 20,000 OF THE ESTIMATED 27,000 EMPLOYEES IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE WORKFORCE, AS WELL AS REPRESENTING EVERY GEOGRAPHIC AREA OF THE STATE. INFORMATION REQUESTED IN THE SURVEY INCLUDED A NUMERICAL BREAKDOWN OF EACH AGENCY'S WORKFORCE BY RACE, SEX, SALARY, AND JOB CATEGORY. BESIDES SEEKING TO DETERMINE LEVELS OF REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE WORKFORCE, THE STUDY ATTEMPTED TO ANALYZE THE PERCENTAGES OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE WORKFORCE AS COMPARED TO THEIR AVAILABILITY IN THE LABOR FORCE AS A WHOLE. IT PURPORTED TO PRIVIDE BASELINE DATA FOR FUTURE COMPARISONS AND TO DETERMINE IN WHICH PROGRAM AREAS, SUCH AS POLICE, COURTS, PROBATION, CORRECTIONS, OR JUVENILE JUSTICE, THE MOST SERIOUS DEFICIENCIES EXIST. IT ALSO AIMED TO IDENTIFY JOB CATEGORIES IN WHICH WOMEN AND MINORITIES ARE CONCENTRATED OR MOST SEVERELY UNDERUTILIZED. SURVEY RESULTS SHOW THAT OUT OF A TOTAL WORKFORCE OF 20,518 EMPLOYEES, 78.8 PERCENT ARE MALES AND 21.2 PERCENT ARE FEMALES; TOTAL MINORITY REPRESENTATION IS 6.5 PERCENT. THE MEDIAN INCOME FOR ALL MALE EMPLOYEES IS $14,811, WHILE FOR FEMALES IT IS $9,509. MEDIAN INCOME FOR BLACK MALE EMPLOYEES IS $14,360 AND FOR BLACK FEMALES, $9,682. FOR WHITE MALES, MEDIAN INCOME IS $14,845 AND FOR WHITE FEMALES, $9,490. WHILE 42.9 PERCENT OF THE STATE'S WORKFORCE IS FEMALE, ONLY 21.2 PERCENT OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE LABOR FORCE IS MADE UP OF FEMALES. MOREOVER, PERCENTAGES BY RACE/GENDER IN JOB CATEGORIES SHOW THAT GENERALLY, THE HIGHER LEVEL JOB CATEGORIES ARE MAINLY HELD BY WHITE MALES AND THE LOWER LEVEL JOB CATEGORIES ARE HELD BY FEMALES AND MINORITY MALES. ALSO, THE SALARIES PAID TO WOMEN WHO DO HOLD HIGH-LEVEL JOBS ARE LOWER THAN THOSE PAID TO MEN IN THE SAME TYPE OF JOB. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS PATTERN PERMEATES ALL JOB LEVEL CATEGORIES. THE POLICE PROGRAM AREA, COMPRISING 73.7 PERCENT OF ALL EMPLOYEES, HAS THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF WHITE MALES (84.3 PERCENT) AND A VERY LOW PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN (12.2 PERCENT). REMEDIES TO COUNTERACT SUCH AN UNEQUITABLE SITUATION ARE OFFERED. THE REPORT CONTAINS FOOTNOTES, TABLES, AND APPENDIXES OF RELATED TERMS. (PRG)