NCJ Number
172117
Journal
Prison Journal Volume: 77 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1997) Pages: 41-57
Date Published
1997
Length
17 pages
Annotation
Structured interviews with 108 female deputy sheriffs working in 4 county jails and 3 local adult detention centers in the Denver metropolitan area gathered information on the nature of a sexualized work setting and the adjustment strategies used by the female deputies.
Abstract
The participants supervised both male and female inmates and had the same duties as male officers. The interviews lasted approximately 1.5 hours each and were tape recorded with the participants' consent. Results revealed that male staff and supervisors often perceive female officers as weak, indecisive, emotional, and timid and thus inadequate in physical encounters with aggressive inmates. Male officers tend to treat females with disdain or choose to ignore them, thereby emphasizing gender inequality to maintain the solidarity of male work groups. Participants also reported that verbal harassment by some male officers occurred frequently. They reported extensive sexual harassment both on and off the job, but they were reluctant to report inappropriate behavior of male deputies. The prevailing opinion was that the elimination of sexual and gender harassment in their workplaces would depend on top administrators' enforcing policies against sexual harassment. Findings suggest that female deputies experience various problems stemming from sexism and sexual harassment by their male coworkers. Findings indicated the need for jails to demonstrate a commitment to the thorough integration of women within the formal and informal organization, because both male and female jail officers are less likely to perform effectively if they are not perceived as using legitimate authority under conditions of equality. Table and 20 references (Author abstract modified)