TY - JOUR
T1 - The influences of personal background on perceptions of juvenile correctional environments
AU - Mitchell, Ojmarrh
AU - MacKenzie, Doris Layton
AU - Gover, Angela R.
AU - Styve, Gaylene J.
N1 - Funding Information:
The original research project upon which this article is based was funded in part by Grant no. 96-SC-LX-0001 from the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, US Department of Justice, to the University of Maryland. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and may not represent the views of the Department of Justice.
Copyright:
Copyright 2005 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.
PY - 2001/1
Y1 - 2001/1
N2 - This study examined whether the individual characteristics of race, sex, and education affect juvenile correctional staff's perceptions of their work environments. Prior to 1970, correctional staff were minimally educated and predominantly comprised of White males. Correctional reformers believed that employing more female, minority, and highly educated staff members would lead to more efficacious correctional environments. The existing research conducted in adult correctional facilities not only calls this belief into question, but also indicates that the hiring of nontraditional staff may have exacerbated existing internal hostilities. These research efforts uniformly examined adult correctional institutions, however. This study examined these issues in a large national sample of juvenile correctional staff. Results revealed that individual characteristics of juvenile correctional staff do significantly affect perceptions. Contrary to the prior research in adult facilities, the current study found few, if any, manifestations of either racial or sexual hostility in juvenile correctional facilities.
AB - This study examined whether the individual characteristics of race, sex, and education affect juvenile correctional staff's perceptions of their work environments. Prior to 1970, correctional staff were minimally educated and predominantly comprised of White males. Correctional reformers believed that employing more female, minority, and highly educated staff members would lead to more efficacious correctional environments. The existing research conducted in adult correctional facilities not only calls this belief into question, but also indicates that the hiring of nontraditional staff may have exacerbated existing internal hostilities. These research efforts uniformly examined adult correctional institutions, however. This study examined these issues in a large national sample of juvenile correctional staff. Results revealed that individual characteristics of juvenile correctional staff do significantly affect perceptions. Contrary to the prior research in adult facilities, the current study found few, if any, manifestations of either racial or sexual hostility in juvenile correctional facilities.
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U2 - 10.1016/S0047-2352(00)00077-5
DO - 10.1016/S0047-2352(00)00077-5
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0012098868
SN - 0047-2352
VL - 29
SP - 67
EP - 76
JO - Journal of Criminal Justice
JF - Journal of Criminal Justice
IS - 1
ER -