NCJ Number
218163
Journal
Women & Criminal Justice Volume: 16 Issue: 3 Dated: 2005 Pages: 27-42
Date Published
2005
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This study explored how female correction officers (COs) viewed other women in the corrections industry and how these viewpoints influence the female CO position.
Abstract
The study results indicated that women COs had negative perceptions of other women within the corrections industry. Furthermore, the female respondents believed that other women in corrections made it more difficult to deal with male officers and male inmates. In addressing why female COs perceive other women COs negatively, the author argued that women in the corrections industry are rarely given the opportunity to mobilize with other female COs. The author also contends that these negative perceptions of women COs helps to further the ultra-masculine prison and police culture that tends to reward masculinity and discourage femininity. The result is that women in corrections are forced to surrender their solidarity with other women in corrections and adopt masculine ideals in order to survive in the industry. The study involved the use of 12 face-to-face, in-depth interviews with female COs in a rural midwestern prison who were identified for participation through snowball sampling. The interviews focused on their experiences as correctional officers, including their perceptions of their treatment and their management strategies. Broader themes of the interviews related to the importance of gender, race, and sexual preference within the correctional institution. Future research should focus on the relationship between female COs, specifically in terms of the intersection between race and gender and the ways in which women “do” gender within the corrections industry. References