Special Study of the Wisconsin Council on Criminal Justice Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Program

• NCJ Number: 79495
• Author(s): M R Moskoff
• Date Published: 1980
• Length: 20 pages
• Corporate Author: Wisconsin Council on Criminal Justice Research, Evaluation and Policy
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Based on questionnaires completed by Wisconsin's law enforcement, courts, and corrections agencies in 1980, this report describes the numbers of women and minorities employed by State criminal justice agencies as well as reactions to an affirmative action/equal employment opportunity program.

Abstract

The purpose of the survey was to determine the impact of the Wisconsin Council on Criminal Justice's Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity (AA/EEO) program on hiring practices and develop baseline data relating to minority employment. Questionnaires completed by 591 of the 647 law enforcement agencies contacted indicated that between 1975 and 1980 the percentage of male officers had remained constant while the proportion of female officers, although small, had doubled. As of July 1980, 86 percent of the full-time positions in law enforcement agencies were filled by males, and women accounted for approximately 4 percent of all sworn officers. Minority personnel comprised 4 percent of all law enforcement personnel, although minority employment in Milwaukee's police department was 9 percent. A total of 74 agencies in courts, corrections, juvenile justice, shelter care, and domestic abuse were mailed questionnaires, but only 33 responded. Analysis of these data showed that 49 percent of all full-time employees were male and 51 percent were female, with women outnumbered among professionals but dominant in the clerical field. Minorities were 9 percent of the full-time workers. Over half the 33 respondents said they did not employ minorities, largely because there were few if any minorities living in their jurisdiction. The survey instrument also asked questions relating to assistance provided by the council's AA/EEO program. Most agencies stated that technical assistance from the AA/EEO staff did not increase minority applications or training and promotion opportunities for minorities, but general personnel policies were improved. However, the numbers of minorities and women employed in these agencies did increase after AA/EEO assistance was provided. Tables and the survey questionnaire are included.