Main Prison Jobs  Corrections Officers  Median federal around $40K (State = $32K, Private = 22K)  Qualifications still minimal (GED, physical requirements), Shift work job, HIGH TURNOVER  Corrections Counselors  More requirements (psychology degrees) and earn more money (case manager, counselor)  Typically a day job (9-5)

CO Demographics  Who are Corrections Officers?  Historically, white (non-Hispanic) males  Why?  Problems/Issues with this?  Regional Variation

Women as CO’s  First Women CO’s in woman’s wings and then female prisons  Woman’s rights movement  Initial Trouble  Male CO culture not “accepting”  Upside  Perception (backed by some evidence) that female officers have “calming” effect

Turnover in CO ranks  Shitty pay relative to other CJS jobs  Rural location of facilities  Why?  Period in 1960s/1970s where things got better, then reversal in 1980s/1990s  High Stress x Sedentary Job

Basis of Power  How do CO’s maintain control over the inmate population?  Hassine?  Conover?  Bases of Power  Legit (power b/c of position)  Coercive (ability to punish)  Reward (ability to reward)  Expert (special knowledge, skill, professional judgment)  Referent (gain respect)

Influences on Power  What dictates the type of power that is most important to a CO?  Environment/Structure  Coercion less likely in a centralized bureaucracy  Expert more valued and training more likely  Attitudes/Roles  More social distance = less referent/expert power  Custody orientation = more coercive  Type of prison (Rx or Custody)  Rx depends upon more referent/expert power

Marquart (1986)  The extent and nature of the use of coercive force  Qualitative/participatory study—CO in the Texas Department of Corrections  “Ass Whooping” and “Tune up” relatively common.  Part of CO subculture (build cohesion), how officers got better post or were promoted, maintain “control model”  More common among young

Job Satisfaction/Burnout  Why Important?  Stress  mental pressure  Burnout  Depersonalization  Personal Accomplishment  Emotional Exhaustion

Predictors of Burnout  From the best meta-analysis ever done on anything…ever.  Importation (Gender, Race, Education, etc.)  Weak effects, but nonwhite, female, more education hold more negative attitudes  Deprivation (Perception of Danger)  Danger is #1 predictor (mean r =.26)  Management (Supervisor Support, Role conflict)  Role conflict (r =.22), Support (r = -.16)

Gender and Burnout  No gender difference in self-reported stress  May be some gender difference in burnout  Women score lower on depersonalization scales—less “unfeeling” and “cynical”?  Importation effect?

Prison Industry  Rationale  Profit  Punishment  Vocation/Rehabilitation  Prison Management

Types of Prison Industry  Old Versions  Contract system  Lease System  Corruption/scandal, other protests against industry led to legislative interventions  State-use  Rebirth in 1970s (PIE Act)  Corporate Model  Private/public partnerships  Free enterprise

MNCORR  Division of MN DOC  Self-sufficient  Produce own goods  Docks/piers, office equiptment….  Contract with private firms  Balloons  MN residents, government, non-profits can purchase MNCORR goods