Blog # 16

According to Britton, not many children aspire to become a correctional officer. In fact in a study in 1982, adolescents between the ages of 14 and 22 were asked what type of jobs they wanted and only 0.1% wanted to be prison guards and other that percentage, 95% were males. So from childhood, becoming a correctional officer is already on a gendered path. Britton also explains that many do not choose to go into this profession and it is often a last resort which makes it more difficult to retain officers for long periods of time. In the study, previous work experience plays a role in becoming a correctional officer. For example, of the men officers studied, 44% had military experience as to where only 7% of females had military experience. For women, about 37% of correctional officers came from clerical positions and took the position as a last resort. This separation in prior work experience shows that there is sex segregation in occupations.

According to the study, the prior job experience did not really matter. Many of the women found that being a correctional officer was similar to childcare. Both men and women were attracted to this type of job because the pay and benefits. This type of job pays well and only requires a GED or a high school diploma, which can be very beneficial for single mothers who need job security. I think society enforces a preconception of prisons that often scares people about the job. Prisons are portrayed to be violent and scary, and those involved in the study reported that they actually are not how we think they are. The training for a correctional officer is not gendered at all. Both men and women are required to study the same curriculum and pass the same fitness tests. The training is all on the job training in areas such as handgun usage, self defense, and strategies on how to deal with inmates. However, in training there are specific units on sexual harassment that are typically geared toward women.