Blog post #16

The path to working as a correctional officer in a prison seems the most gendered in how people get into the field. The men seem to come from backgrounds of government work (military, police) which lend more to working in the prison system. Women tend to come from backgrounds that have nothing to do with the prison system so it is more unlikely they will look for a job with that kind of institution. Also, the pay is more than what a woman could make at other jobs, on average, but for men it is less.

Many of the officers that Britton interviewed said they drifted into the job. However, there seems to be a clear relationship between previous work and becoming a correctional officer for most of the men. 44% of the men that Britton interviewed came from the military. One man explained his draw to being a correctional officer was that is had a lot of structure like the military. Many of these men aspired to be a police officer and feel into the prison system in some way. The other jobs that men previously held were janitor, welder, miner, and assembly line workers. It seems that these jobs are not directly related but they have in common that they are very male dominated. For women, it seemed that previous job experience had no effect on becoming a correctional officer. Most women came from clerical type jobs or sales, and none believed that corrections was a natural progression. The women that were teachers saw the most resemblance in the sense that they were basically baby-sitters for the inmates just like they were for their students. Circumstance, opportunity, and personal contacts were what led most women into corrections. Social networks play a very large role in how women get into prison corrections, but not as much for men. Men tend to come from a similar background, but women tend to be told about the job by someone they know. One woman in Britton’s interview explained that she lived by a prison her whole life, and her friend told her about it, and that is how she got started. This woman actually started as a secretary and gradually moved into corrections. Another woman explained that a customer at her old job told her about the job in the prison. Britton explains that is often the weak ties, or acquaintances that introduce you to the best information.

It seems that the biggest motive for both genders is the money. The job requires that you have a high school diploma or a GED, so the money is really good for a person with no formal education, especially for women. For women and minority men, the pay is much better than other available work. White men make about the same or a little less working as a correctional officer. It is likely the government benefits of this job it what motivates the white men. They offer good health insurance, vacation, and retirement. Prison jobs also have high job security. Many people in the interviews with Britton referred to the job as “the best available option.”