NCJ Number
52030
Journal
Social Problems Volume: 25 Issue: 3 Dated: (FEBRUARY 1978) Pages: 304-318
Date Published
1978
Length
15 pages
Annotation
THE ASSUMPTION THAT REPLACING WHITE RURAL PRISON GUARDS WITH YOUNG BLACK URBAN GUARDS WILL LESSEN SIGNIFICANTLY TENSION AND CONFLICT IN THE PRISON COMMUNITY IS TESTED THROUGH A QUESTIONNAIRE ADMINISTERED TO 231 GUARDS.
Abstract
THE ATTITUDE QUESTIONNAIRE WAS GIVEN TO 165 WHITE AND 66 BLACK GUARDS WORKING AT THE STATEVILLE AND JOLIET MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISONS IN ILLINOIS. ABOUT 75 PERCENT OF THE PRISON POPULATION IS BLACK AND 10 PERCENT LATINO, WITH THE MAJORITY FROM THE CHICAGO METROPOLITAN AREA. THE BLACK GUARDS IN THE STUDY WERE GENERALLY YOUNGER THAN THE WHITE GUARDS AND MOST HAD LESS THAN FOUR YEARS SENIORITY, HAVING BEEN HIRED AS THE RESULT OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PROGRAMS IN THE 1970'S. QUESTIONS ON THE ATTITUDE SURVEY INVOLVED ATTITUDES TOWARDS INMATES, JOB ORIENTATION, STAFF ORIENTATION, AND SYSTEM ORIENTATION. EVEN THOUGH THE BLACK CORRECTION OFFICERS WERE YOUNGER, MORE URBAN, BETTER EDUCATED, AND MORE LIBERAL THAN THE WHITE, THERE WERE NO CONSISTENT DIFFERENCES IN THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARD PRISONERS, STAFF, CORRECTIONAL GOALS, OR OCCUPATION. CONTRARY TO EXPECTATION, BLACK GUARDS WERE AS SUSPICIOUS OF INMATES AS WHITE GUARDS, AND BLACK GUARDS DID NOT RELATE MORE EFFECTIVELY TO BLACK INMATES. THE BLACK GUARDS WERE ALSO ACTIVE DISCIPLINARIANS. BLACK GUARDS WHO PASSED THE 6-MONTH PROBATION PERIOD WERE MORE POSITIVE TOWARD THE ADMINISTRATION THAN WHITE GUARDS, WHILE BLACKS WHO 'FLUNKED OUT' WERE MORE NEGATIVE THAN WHITES WHO FAILED. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FINDING WAS THAT BLACK GUARDS WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE EMBARRASSED TO TELL OTHERS WHAT THEY DID FOR A LIVING. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT HIRING MORE BLACK GUARDS IS NOT A PANACEA FOR PRISON UNREST. TABLES PRESENT STUDY FINDINGS, AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS PROVIDED. (GLR)