NCJ Number
207212
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 39 Issue: 1 Dated: 2004 Pages: 83-103
Date Published
2004
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This study examined the perceptions of male and female correctional officers regarding the acceptance of officers of the opposite gender.
Abstract
Female correctional officers have long struggled for acceptance within the corrections industry. The current study, conducted in the year 2000, provides insight into how female correctional officers are accepted within the profession at the beginning of the new millennium. Participants were 37 correctional officers (18 men and 19 women) at an all-women’s prison and 190 officers (163 men and 27 women) at an all-men’s prison who responded to a survey questionnaire regarding their perceptions of the acceptance of officers of the opposite gender. Demographic findings indicate that men and women officers were of similar education level, although male officers were more likely to have military backgrounds. Generally, the results revealed that the acceptance of female correctional officers in both male and female prisons was high. Particular findings showed that female officers perceived their male counterparts as more competent at supervising and counseling both female and male prisoners. Male officers were more likely to express acceptance of female officers working in male prisons than were their female counterparts. Thus, at the dawn of the new millennium, it appears that male correctional officers are more accepting of female correctional officers, and even rank them higher in supervisory and counseling skills than they rank themselves. Future research should continue to probe the role of female correctional officers within the correctional industry. Tables, references, notes