Blog Post #20

Britton’s study is concerned with the idea that prisons are gender organizations. She argues this on the basis that the job of a correctional officer has embedded assumptions about what traits an ideal worker has. The main characteristics that the job is assumed to require are physical and mental toughness, as well as aggressiveness, which are all masculine traits. It is thought that a correctional officer needs these traits because of the assumed level of violence within the prisons, which is in fact false. Then, through policies, and formal and informal practices this ideal is reproduced. A good example of this is the training that teaches the new officers how to deal with violence in a high security prison in the worst situation possible, and it scares them. Also, the training never prepares them for what they are about to face a female guards, or what they will face if they work in a female prison.

The hostage situation in Arizona reflects these problems because this female guard actually did experience a high level of violence. She was raped and beaten as one prisoner tried to escape but it turned into a hostage situation. But, as Britton discusses, this victim knew how to use her “female skills,” or her people management skills to survive. Instead of matching violence with violence, like a “masculine” officer may do, she acted as if she agreed with them and made them see her as person rather than a guard. She also played into the role of the “dumb girl” by pretending she did not know how to use the guns or the panel controls, and this worked for her. It seems that in a hostage situation like this one, masculine aggressiveness and brutality would have lended itself as well as typical “female characteristics.” Also, Dora displayed the “female” characteristics of patience. If she had been the “ideal prison worker” who displayed aggressiveness, she would have had that tower invaded immediately while being unconcerned with the potential costs. However, because of her patience she got the prisoners to surrender and saved the life of her employee. Raiding the hostage situation would have got the employee killed.

Britton labels a turnkey officer as a guard who acts as a parent figure to the inmates. A guard that takes on a parent or custodial role for prisoners is like to try to nurture them, teach them right from wrong, and attempt to rehabilitate and transform the prisoners, rather than just lock them up until their time is fulfilled. From what Britton has defined as female and male characteristics, it seems that this type of behavior is more like to be used by a female officer, as it is assumed females carry that “maternal sense.” The only way I see the hostage situation reflecting this is that both the victim and Dora used “maternal” or “female” skills to make the situation o the way they intended. Lois, victim, used what could be considered maternal skills to make the offender listen to her and see her as a person without having to use violence or dominance. Even though Lois thought she was going to die right up until the two men were handcuffed, she managed to remain calm, play the game, and attempt to nurture these guys. Dora did the same thing. Instead of using what is male dominance, she wanted to talk these guys off the cliff, and convince them to do the right thing, just like a parent figure would.

I am not sure which suggestion of Britton’s this is referring to since she makes several through the book. I am going to assume it is the suggestion she makes in the final chapter about giving training that more thoroughly prepares officers for work in both men’s and women’s institutions as well as to give more information about the different environments they will face. Yes, this would have helped to potentially stop this situation but hindsight is always 20/20. It is my assumption that this was a well planned attack because it happened to be right at the time when a new person was coming into power, and there was more likely to be a small lapse in security as she was getting used to how the place is run. However, this would be extremely helpful in the future to prevent this type of occurrence, and also change the negative impact of policies on women.