Gender and Work in Criminal Justice Systems: Prison Officers Dr. Michelle L. Meloy

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Gender and Work in Criminal Justice Systems
Prison OfficersDr. Michelle L. Meloy
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First Female Prison Workers

• The first prison matrons (1822) paved the way
  for women to work in police departments and
  corrections
• The term matron is more consistent with care
  taking than policing feminine qualities
• Prison matrons were upper and middleclass white
  women who worked as volunteers to reform
  fallen women
• Early female prison guards worked only with
  female offenders and juveniles.
• These duties were not threatening to male guards
  because they were seen as undesirable and
  feminine assignments

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Snapshot Female Prison Guards

• First female officers hired to work with male
  prisoners did not occur until 1970s
• Today, 1 in 4 prison guards are women
  considerable increase over last 20 years
• Womens representation as officers is even higher
  among jail facilities than it is in prisons,
  around 35
• However, no hard data is available to
  differentiate these numbers race, ethnicity or
  professional rank

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Female Prison Guards

• Gender differences appear to exist in how male
  female officers perform their duties
• Some research suggests male officers perceive
  female officers as too soft while others find
  that female officers are better at deescalating
  violent situations
• Despite possible differences in style prisons
  operate similarly with male or female guards

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Female Officers in Male Prisons

• Institutional role follow all the procedures and
  downplay their role as women, see themselves as
  equals
• Modified role see themselves as less capable
  than men and often request non-threatening posts
• Inventive role see themselves as unique assets
  to prison. Believe that their communication
  skills respect for prisoners improves quality
  of prison life and prison operations. Most
  resented by male co-workers

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Climate Change in Prisons?

• Male guards attitudes are still sexist but
  appear more accepting than before
• Females officers are often called names and women
  of color report racism
• If women perform well in the job...their
  femininity is questioned as it threatens the
  masculine nature of the work
• Womens advancement opportunities limited and
  women of color reported the lowest job
  satisfaction of all officers