NCJ Number
180786
Date Published
1998
Length
20 pages
Annotation
Semi-structured interviews with 108 female deputy sheriffs working in 4 county jails and 3 adult detention centers in the Denver area gathered information on the nature of a sexualized work setting involving the treatment of women as objects and a denial of personal autonomy; the research also examined these women's adjustment strategies.
Abstract
Each interview lasted approximately 90 minutes and was tape recorded with the participant's consent. The interviews used sequential probes to follow leads the participants provided to allow participants to specify and elaborate on areas they perceived to be important. The participants ranged from 24 to 51 years of age and from 1 to 15 years of experience at their current facility. The participants all supervised both male and female inmates. The participants experienced paternalistic treatment, exclusion from work socialization opportunities, job stress, and limited career prospects. The participants' prevailing opinion was that the elimination of harassment in local corrections organizations depended on top administrators' enforcing policies against sexual harassment. Findings suggested that female correctional officers experience various problems stemming from sexism and sexual harassment by their male co-workers and indicated the need for jail administrators to demonstrate a philosophical commitment to the thorough integration of women within the formal and informal organizational structure. An important initiative in changing organizational culture would be to flatten the hierarchical control mechanisms and eliminate the administrative pressures for worker uniformity that have reinforced and maintained traditional job stereotypes in the jail setting. More active recruitment and retention of women officers would also help promote the development of an androgynous work culture where an officer's success rests on ability alone. Note, table, and 64 references