How Staff Attitude and Support for Inmate Treatment and Rehabilitation Differs by Job Category: An Evaluation of Findings From Pennsylvania's Department of Corrections' Employee Training Curriculum 'Reinforcing Positive Behavior'

• NCJ Number: 228925
• Journal: Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 37 Issue: 5 Dated: September-October 2009 Pages: 435-441
• Author(s): Jacqueline L. Young; Michael E. Antonio; Lisa M. Wingeard
• Date Published: October 2009
• Length: 7 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: Netherlands

Annotation

After the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PADOC) delivered a training session to all new employees in four job categories (clerical, maintenance, treatment, and correctional officers) regarding the importance of staff support for inmate treatment and rehabilitation, participants were administered a survey to determine whether their attitudes about inmate treatment and rehabilitation programs differed by job category.

Abstract

The survey found that, overall participants in the training expressed support for inmate treatment and rehabilitation programs and understood that staff behavior and actions can impact the effectiveness of these programs; however, responses did differ by job category. Clerical staff and treatment staff showed a better understanding than maintenance personnel and correctional officers about the impact of their jobs on inmate treatment and rehabilitation goals. Compared to correctional officers, both clerical staff and treatment staff had stronger and more perceptive views on the importance of reinforcing positive inmate behavior as a requirement of their jobs. Being female and having longer employment in PADOC before attending the new employee orientation were also associated with more support for and recognition of inmate rehabilitation efforts. These findings are consistent with previous research on correctional staff support for inmate treatment and rehabilitation programs. The majority of the respondents were correctional officers (1,120), followed by treatment staff (291), clerical staff (176), and maintenance personnel (163). The survey was developed by PADOC from the content material included in the 2-hour training conducted in July 2006. Thirteen statements in the survey related to staff support for inmate rehabilitation, treatment of inmates, and staff behavior inside a prison. Respondents rated their level of agreement for each statement on a five-point scale. 6 tables and 25 references