NCJ Number
170848
Journal
Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice Volume: 14 Issue: 2 Dated: (May 1998) Pages: 117-134
Date Published
1998
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This article examines the adjustment problems and work strategies of female deputy sheriffs working in four county jails and three local adult detention centers in the Denver metropolitan area.
Abstract
The study was based on semistructured interviews with 108 women deputies. Findings suggest that, in their role as jail officers, women experience integration difficulties predominantly imposed on them by their male coworkers; these difficulties include gender stereotyping, role conflict, and differential performance expectations. In all seven facilities, women officers were assigned to supervise both male and female inmates, and the duties of jail deputies were the same for male and female officers. This is an important occupational issue because many jails in the United States do not permit female officers to work in male inmate housing units, which results in unequal opportunities for women to advance in the organizations. Because of their minority or token status, female jail deputies stand out in the work setting and are subject to heightened scrutiny and more critical evaluation. This does not happen to women in fully integrated work groups, suggesting that the number of women in an organization is more important than their socialization or gender per se. This would seem to encourage more aggressive recruitment and retention of women officers, who, by their sheer numbers, may promote development of an androgynous work culture where success is predicated on ability rather than sexual physiology. Table, references