GUARD UNIONS AND THE FUTURE OF THE PRISONS

• NCJ Number: 55355
• Author(s): J B JACOBS; N M CROTTY
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 59 pages
• Corporate Author: Cornell University
• Sale Source: ILR Press
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT MONOGRAPH NO 9

Annotation

THIS DISCUSSION OF CORRECTIONAL GUARD UNIONS AND THEIR EFFECTS ON PRISONS DESCRIBES THE ROLE OF GUARDS AND THE NATURE OF PRISON WORK AND PRESENTS A CASE STUDY OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING BY GUARDS IN NEW YORK STATE.

Abstract

PRISON GUARDS TEND TO BE DRAWN FROM THE RANKS OF THE UNEMPLOYED, ARE USUALLY WHITE MALES, AND HAVE ONLY A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. AS A RESULT OF THE OCCUPATION'S NEGATIVE STEREOTYPE AND THE LOW EDUCATIONAL LEVEL OF ITS WORK FORCE, GUARDS ARE TYPICALLY THE LOWEST PAID SECURITY PERSONNEL. PRISON WORK IS ROUTINE SHIFT WORK INVOLVING VARYING DEGREES OF DANGER--CELLHOUSE WORK BEING THE MOST DANGEROUS. DESPITE THE LOW PRESTIGE AND PAY, GUARDS TRADITIONALLY HAVE BEEN RELUCTANT TO ORGANIZE PARTLY BECAUSE OF LOYALTY TO OR FEAR OF THE WARDENS. IN NEW YORK STATE PRISONS, HOWEVER, EMPLOYEES REGAN ORGANIZING AS EARLY AS 1953. COUNCIL 50, CONSISTING OF ALL TYPES OF SECURITY PERSONNEL, PURSUED SUCH OBJECTIVES AS SALARY INCREASES, UNIFORM ALLOWANCES, AND GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES DURING THE FORMATIVE YEARS. IN 1961, THE COUNCIL INSTRUCTED ITS MEMBERS TO LOBBY FOR AN EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK BILL, AN IMPROVED LIFE INSURANCE POLICY, AND A SALARY INCREASE. THE STATE LEGISLATURE PASSED A LAW ALLOWING ALL PUBLIC EMPLOYEES TO JOIN A UNION IN 1967, AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER COUNCIL 82, COMPOSED SOLELY OF PRISON GUARDS, WAS FORMED. UNION ISSUES HAVE INVOLVED JOB SAFETY, SENIORITY, JOB ACTIONS, AND STRIKES. THE UNIONIZATION OF GUARDS AND ESTABLISHMENT OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING HAVE RESULTED IN A REDISTRIBUTION OF POWER BRINGING THE GUARDS MORE SECURITY AND CONTROL OVER THEIR WORK ASSIGNMENTS. IT HAS UNDERMINED THE PRISONS' HIERARCHICAL AUTHORITY SYSTEM, ENDED THE AUTOCRATIC RULE OF THE WARDEN AND CUSTODIAL ELITE, AND ELIMINATED USE OF SHIFT CHANGES AND WORK ASSIGNMENTS AS PUNISHMENT FOR GUARDS. UNIONS APPEAR TO MAKE IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMS EASIER AND HAVE HAD SOME POSITIVE EFFECTS ON PRISON REFORM. GUARDS ARE INTERESTED IN RELIEVING OVERCROWDED FACILITIES AND ENCOURAGING NEW CONSTRUCTION, AND THEY HAVE NOT RIGIDLY OPPOSED A PRISONERS' GRIEVANCE SYSTEM. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED.