NCJ Number
203243
Journal
Prison Journal Volume: 83 Issue: 4 Dated: December 2003 Pages: 383-405
Date Published
December 2003
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This article examines several dimensions of managerial practices and attitudes through a national survey of juvenile facility directors.
Abstract
There has been a variety of research assessing the attitudes of adult correctional administrators and personnel. Relatively few studies have examined juvenile correctional administrators. A survey was conducted to assess correctional facility directors’ attitudes on several issues in juvenile corrections and their managerial problems and issues. The results were compared with similar research conducted on prison wardens. A questionnaire was mailed to all 406 identified juvenile treatment facilities. Of the 406 facility directors in the population, 258 returned usable questionnaires, resulting in a 63.5 percent response rate. Participants were asked about rehabilitation, punitive ideals, custody orientation, job satisfaction, job-related stress, and job autonomy. The results show that juvenile facility directors are more rehabilitative in outlook than their adult counterparts. Juvenile facility directors report relatively low levels of influence from those outside their facility. The fact that the directors overwhelmingly support rehabilitation over punishment suggest that these individuals suffer from relatively low levels of role conflict. Outside pressures to become more punitive do not appear to be affecting the attitudes of juvenile facility directors. The results also show substantial differences in the attitudes and operational philosophies of juvenile facility directors compared to their adult prison warden counterparts. Belief in rehabilitation was a strong predictor of job satisfaction. Future research should examine the effect of the drive for punishment on the attitudes and operation of juvenile facilities over time. 9 tables, 9 notes, 59 references