Introduction The following paper is a deeper look into the typically male dominated workforce of the prison system.

This paper will explore the perception of one female employee in terms of motivation to work there as well as equality amongst workers of different gender, rank, and position. This individual was selected primarily because she has been in the prison for nearly ten years, is fully trained in all areas of security in the prison, and has a working knowledge of day-to-day operations. The broad research question for this study is twofold. First, what would motivate a woman to want to work in a male dominated workforce such as a prison? Second, how do women perceive themselves in terms of equality in a male dominated prison workforce?

Motivation to Work in a Prison Research Question 1: What motivates a woman to work in a male dominated workforce such as a prison? This section identifies key factors that motivate women to work in a prison. After interviewing the female officer twice regarding her motivation, key concepts emerged and are summarized in table 1.1 in appendix (a). Desire to make a better life for family The female interviewee was asked what the primary motivations were to choosing this line of work. She was asked what preconceived notions she had a bout prisons prior to working there as well. She mentioned that she had seen shows on television that showed some of the worst prisons in the world, but yet she still decided to work there;

though she thought this particular prison wouldnt be as bad as the ones she saw on television. More importantly, she had stressed that her primary motivation was to better herself and family. When asked the question in the first interview, the reply was, Well for one, I was working at the Post Office under a flex schedule, only 39 hours or so. So I had no benefits, but good money. I heard from a friend that the prison paid good money and had good benefits. I needed good benefits for my daughter because I was a single mom. When asked the primary motivation in the second interview, her reply was, Well, I was working almost a full time shift at the Post Office. Sometimes they had us working 39 hrs just so they didnt have to give us any benefits. I had my daughter and was single at the time. I heard from a friend that the benefits were good out here and I decided to applythey offer medical at a really cheap rate, and the co-pays are low. They offer dental and vision, although the vision plan isnt that great. The one good thing is that they have a good retirement plan through the County. I figure if I want to leave after 20 years and do something different I can, and still get a retirement check. Perception of Equality Research Question 2: How do women perceive themselves in terms of equality in a male dominated prison workforce? This section identifies the perceptions that women have about working in a male dominated prison. Two interviews were conducted on a female officer regarding different aspects of equality in terms of officer to officer, officer to supervisor, and ability to be promoted. After the interviews, key concepts emerged and are summarized in appendix (a) in table 1.1 Equality among line staff When the female officer was asked if she felt she was treated fairly by the administration and supervisory staff, she made the distinction between equality among line staff, and equality among the supervisors. She stated that, on the floor everyone is treated equally. In the second interview, she stated that,

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It depends what you are talking about. I think that I am treated fairly compared to other officers on the floor, but maybe not compared to the supervisorsit seems as like the captains treat me the same as everyone else when they put me in a position for a night. Actually, sometimes I get treated better because I usually get the positions that I enjoy. That is probably because I do a good job and dont complain though. Supervisors perceptions of women Her answer about equality brought up an interesting phenomenon about equality in terms of female line staff and supervisors. She felt equal to her peers, but felt that she was looked at as inferior to her supervisors. She echoed those sentiments by stating that I feel like I have to work twice as hard to prove that I can do the work. She also stated that she felt like she was being watched constantly to see if she made a mistake. I asked her for examples and she stated that, Well, I have already completed my training to work as a lieutenant in the control center of the prison. The whole time I trained it seemed like I had one or two Lieutenants watching everything that I did. Also, whenever I would make a mistake I was sure to hear about it from someone. Maybe they were just joking but it seemed like they were sort of serious. I have seen other males go through the training and it seemed like the other supervisors let them go a lot on their own without too much assistance or hassle. Equality among supervisors It was pretty clear that the female officer felt that there was a definite disparity between the equality of men and women of different rank. Additionally, the interview yielded similar sentiments about the equality of men and women of the same rank. The officer states that when a woman makes it to the supervisory level, they arent treated fairly. She states that, Well, I dont think that its right that the females who get promoted to Captain or Lieutenant are only allowed to work the female side of the prison. All along the males have worked both sides of the prison. Actually, when something really serious is going on in the female wing, male Captains usually end up helping out or taking over the situation. Also, female Captains end up doing a lot of the

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duties as line staff officers like relieving for lunch. They say it is because we are so short staffed females. I would bet that if a male Captain was made to do the same, he would find the staff to do it for him. The idea of inequality was illustrated even further when she explained how the women in management have less power and privilege. She stated that, It seems like the female supervisors are like a necessary evil for here. None of the male supervisors want to deal with the female inmates, but they dont trust the female supervisors to do a good job. Its almost like the female supervisors are figure heads, not really allowed to be doing what they are supposed to and not taken seriously. Im a tough-nosed woman, and if I get promoted, I am going to try to change that. Difficulty to get promoted During the interview, another theme emerged that deserves attention. When asked about fairness and the possibility of a glass ceiling, she said that they (Captains and Lieutenants) make it harder for us to move up. She also stated that, I think to get to the highest positions like Warden and Deputy Warden you almost have to know someone. I think thats true even if you are a man. But to get to the highest level on the security side, which is a captain, sort of. There is only one shift captain that is a female, and one lieutenant that is a female. I guess its not impossible but its very hard to get there. This interview was conducted to gain an inside perspective of a woman working in a male dominated work environment such as the prison. Throughout the interview, themes have emerged such as inequality among supervisors, staff, and difficulty in getting promotion. I do think that one persons perception may not always be correct, but this subject deserves more attention. A larger field and sample base will prove valuable to understanding where the prison field is in terms of equality among its workforce.

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Appendix (A)

TABLE 1.1
Perception of Women Working in a Prison
Categories and Codes Category/Sub Categories _____________________Codes______________________ Motivation to Work in a Prison Desire to make a better life for family full-time work, good pay, benefits for family medical, dental, vision, full retirement

Perception of Equality Equality among staff Supervisors perception of women equal treatment regardless of sex, lack of trust, positions feeling of inferiority, re-checking work, hassling limited power and privilege, more duties glass ceiling, lack of positions, lack of good recommendation

Equality among supervisors Difficulty getting promoted

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Appendix (B) The following is the first of two interviews conducted with a 31 year old female correctional officer. The purpose of the interview was to obtain one viewpoint of a woman working in a male dominated work environment such as the prison. The interview was conducted face to face and recorded, but the name of the interviewee and prison will remain disclosed. Adam: What prompted your decision to work in a prison? Officer: Well for one, I was working at the Post Office under a flex schedule, only 39 hours or so. So I had no benefits, but good money. I heard from a friend that the prison paid good money and had good benefits. I needed good benefits for my daughter because I was a single mom. Adam: Ok, my next question is what preconceived notions did you have about prisons before you started? Officer: I saw movies like on A&E about Pelican Bay or whatever that place is called. Thats what I pictured prisons being like. But I thought that being a county prison that it wouldnt be bad. I just cant believe some of the things I seen. All of the suicides, fights, and stuff with nurses. Wait, Im not gonna go there. Adam: Maybe well save that for another interview. You already sort of touched on my next question, but are any of the preconceived notions true? Officer: I guess I thought it would be more of a cake walk, but its not. Sex wise, I didnt think that I would see all of the gay stuff taking place, but I sure did. Also, I thought that I would have to work harder, but its not difficult at all. Adam: Sounds good. Well, would you change anything about the prison if you could? Officer: Well, I wouldnt really change too much. I think I have the prison mentality. I think its just the prison. The only thing that I really want to change is the administration and how they treat the workers. It seems like they want to watch the officers more than the inmates. Also, I feel like they harass the employees about their sick time. You should be able to use your sick time if youre given sick time. Adam: I understand. Do you feel as though you are treated fairly as a woman in a male dominated workforce? Officer: I think that I am. I think on the floor everyone is treated equally. I do think that they make it harder for us to move up. I feel like I have to work twice as hard to prove that I can do the work.

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Adam: Who are they? Officer: Captains and Lieutenants. They are the ones who train us and recommend us for promotion to the Warden. Adam: Do you think that other women are treated fairly? Officer: I think that most women are treated fairly. To be honest, most of the women that have problems in here bring it on themselves. It kind of sucks because they make it bad for the rest of us. Adam: Would you recommend the prison for employment to your female friends or family? Officer: No, but Im probably a little over protective with my family. I wouldnt want friends or family to be threatened or called bitches and other names by inmates. I wouldnt want them to have to deal with the cat calls and flashing and stuff like that. Adam: I can definitely see how you could feel that way. My next question is do you feel as though there is a glass ceiling for women working in the prison? Officer: You mean like women not being able to make it to the top? Adam: Yeah, along those lines. Maybe not just the top, but is there a point that a woman cannot get to, no matter how good she is at her job or how good her credentials are? Officer: Yes and no. The next warden may be a woman. She is in charge of the operations now, and the warden is retiring. That is a pretty high position. Some other women have been promoted to Lieutenant and Captain, but not treated equally to men. Ill give you an example. Female Lieutenants and Captains have to relieve female line staff officers for lunch. I have never seen any male Captain have to do it. Male Captains have to cover the whole prison. Female captains can only cover the female wing. It was only recently that the female Captains had a say in who works where in their areas. Before, the male captains decided where to place the females. Basically, the women arent given the same power and privilege. Adam: If you were offered a job somewhere else for equal pay, would you leave the prison? Officer: Im tough skinned and can deal with just about anything. This job isnt for everybody. You cant beat the benefits and pay. Adam: So you would probably stay then?

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Officer: I do love my job overall. There are things I may not like, but for the most part I love it. Adam: Would you leave for day shift weekends off? Or are there any other stipulations that you can think of that would change your mind. Officer: I really dont care too much about dayshift or days off. As long as I have two days off in a row, Im o.k. I think I would just stay, so I really dont have any stipulations. Adam: Well, thank you for taking the time to do the interview. You have brought up some really interesting points, and I look forward to meeting with you again. Officer: Youre welcome. Ill see you tomorrow. End of tape.

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The following is the last of a series of two interviews conducted on the same 31 year old correctional officer. This interview was conducted to obtain one viewpoint of a woman working in a male dominated work environment such as the prison. The interview was conducted face to face and recorded, but the name of the interviewee and prison will remain disclosed. Adam: Hello again. I want to first thank you for taking the time to do a second interview with me. Officer: Youre welcome. I dont mind at all. Adam: Ok, lets get started. What prompted your decision to work in a prison? Officer: Well, I was working almost a full time shift at the Post Office. Sometimes they had us working 39 hrs just so they didnt have to give us any benefits. I had my daughter and was single at the time. I heard from a friend that the benefits were good out here and I decided to apply. Adam: You said that the benefits were good. What type of benefits did the prison offer that made working here so appealing? Officer: Well, they offer medical at a really cheap rate, and the co-pays are low. They offer dental and vision, although the vision plan isnt that great. The one good thing is that they have a good retirement plan through the County. I figure if I want to leave after 20 years and do something different I can, and still get a retirement check. Adam: I can definitely see how those good benefits are attractive. I bet some people wouldnt take this job no matter how good the benefits are, especially because of what they see on TV. Did you have any preconceived notions at all about prisons before you started here? Officer: I saw a lot of stuff on TV. I used to watch those specials where they show you the worst of the worst. It was kind of scary. I didnt think this prison was that bad though. Adam: What kind of things did you picture about this prison? Officer: About this prison? Adam: Yes

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Officer: Well, I pictured all doors being bars, but these are all steel with a little wicket. Also, I didnt expect to see as many glass windows. I guess I just pictured the old style jails. Adam: Besides the look of the jail, what else did you picture? Officer: I pictured long hallways with those barred cell doors with people in the cells. I also pictured guards walking up and down the hallways checking on the inmates with a Billy club in their hand knocking on the bars to get their attention. It looked totally different when I got there. Adam: What was so different about this jail compared to what you thought it would be? Officer: Besides the cell doors looking different, the whole place was laid out differently. You have to walk down hallways to get to different parts of the prison. Other inmates are walking without cuffs or shackles right with you. I thought that was really strange. Adam: What was similar to your preconceived notions? Officer: You know how a lot of those shows about prisons show the inmates rape each other and fight? Well, it isnt as out in the open here, and probably nowhere near as muchbut it does happen. Adam: Im sure it does. Its pretty sad. Im sure you guys have your hands full with these inmates. Do you think you have to work harder now than what you expected? Officer: I guess I thought that I would have to do more physical labor than what I do now. I think we work hard in terms of keeping the peace and ensuring the care, custody and control of the inmates. A lot of times the inmates try to manipulate you to get something they want, so we gotta be careful not to let them trick us. But other than that, its just a lot of walking and watching, mostly standing on your feet. Its really not too hard though. Adam: That doesnt sound too bad. So would you change anything about your job if you could? Officer: Well, the prison is what it is. I wish the administration would worry about the inmates a little more and not us. Adam: By us do you mean the officers? Officer: Yeah, its really frustrating. We are hear to ensure that the inmates are incarcerated and taken care of, and not hurting themselves or others while in here. But it seems like our administration is focused a little too much on us. I know that out of 300 officers some are bound to be dirty but for the most part we are a good bunch of people. There is no need to have that many cameras focused on us. I dont think that

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they are all for our safety. I guess it just makes it hard to work sometimes when you get the feeling like youre not fully trusted. Adam: Do others have the same mentality about administration? Officer: You hear people talking bad about them all the time. When you are in the lunchroom, all you hear is how they are getting occurrence letters for taking too much sick leave, even though they earned it, and complaining about cameras being on them at all times. Adam: I have heard the term prison mentality associated with the way people view their working environment and administration. What does this term mean to you? Officer: I think prison mentality means that you just accept it. I mean you just accept the fact that the prison is what it is and you cant change anything, so why try? I guess you just learn to accept a lot of things in prison for what they are. Adam: So you would say that things are hard to change? Officer: I would say so. Some things do change, depending on new management, but there is a lot of things that have been the same ever since I started here nine years ago. Adam: I know you said that you hear others complaining about the administration. So do you think that you personally are treated unfairly by administration? Officer: I dont think so. I dont take off work as much as others, so I dont butt heads with them as much. I do wish we could take time off more without question, but Im treated pretty much the same as everyone else. Adam: As a woman, do you think you are treated fairly? Officer: It depends what you are talking about. I think that I am treated fairly compared to other officers on the floor, but maybe not compared to the supervisors. Adam: In what way? Officer: Well, its kind of hard to say. It seems like the Captains treat me the same as everyone else when they put me in a position for a night. Actually, sometimes I get treated better because I usually get the positions that I enjoy. That is probably because I do a good job and dont complain though. But when it comes to being treated equally with the supervisors, thats a different story. Sometimes I get the feeling like they dont think I can do the job right, or that they have to watch me in case I make a mistake. Adam: Can you give me any examples?

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Officer: Well, I have already completed my training to work as a lieutenant in the control center of the prison. The whole time I trained it seemed like I had one or two lieutenants watching everything that I did. Also, whenever I would make a mistake I was sure to hear about it from someone. Maybe they were just joking but it seemed like they were sort of serious. I have seen other males go through the training and it seemed like the other supervisors let them go a lot on their own without too much assistance or hassle. Not to mention that I still havent got promoted. I havent had my training completed for that long, and Ive only been passed up for promotion a couple times, but still. Im not very upset about it because some people get passed up for a while before they get promoted. I just get the feeling that I am going to have to above and beyond expectation before I can get promoted. Adam: Do you think that other women are treated fairly in the prison? Officer: Its kind of along the same lines as me. I think that they are treated fairly on the floor. I mean, everyone is treated as an equal for the most part as line staff officers. Its when you get to the supervisor level that I dont think they are treated fairly. Adam: Can you give me any examples? Officer: Well, I dont think that its right that the females who get promoted to captain or lieutenant are only allowed to work the female side of the prison. All along the males have worked both sides of the prison. Actually, when something really serious is going on in the female wing, male captains usually end up helping out or taking over the situation. Also, female captains end up doing a lot of the duties as line staff officers like relieving for lunch. They say it is because we are so short staffed females. I would bet that if a male captain was made to do the same, he would find the staff to do it for him. Adam: So you feel as though women in management have less power and privilege than their male counterparts? Officer: Yeah pretty much. It seems like the female supervisors are like a necessary evil for here. None of the male supervisors want to deal with the female inmates, but they dont trust the female supervisors to do a good job. Its almost like the female supervisors are figure heads, not really allowed to be doing what they are supposed to and not taken seriously. Im a tough-nosed woman, and if I get promoted, I am going to try to change that. Adam: What would you do differently? Officer: Well, I dont take a lot of crap, and I was raised to be self sufficient. If I get promoted, I will handle my situations the way that I feel necessary. Im not going to let a male of the same rank tell me how to handle things unless I really dont know how to handle it.

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Adam: Speaking of promotion, do you think that there is a glass ceiling for women working in the prison? Officer: I think to get to the highest positions like Warden and Deputy Warden you almost have to know someone. I think thats true even if you are a man. But to get to the highest level on the security side, which is a captain, sort of. There is only one shift captain that is a female, and one lieutenant that is a female. I guess its not impossible but its very hard to get there. Adam: Overall, given the good and the bad, and the promotion process, would you leave the job if offered a new position elsewhere for equal pay and benefits? Officer: I really dont have any intention to leave. I dont agree with everything that the prison does, but I still love my job. I really do enjoy it. I hope that things change with the promotion process. Maybe I will get promoted soon, who knows. If not, I am content coming in here doing my job and going home. Adam: Thanks again for your time and the insight, if I have any follow up questions, can I talk to you again? Officer: Any time. Adam: Thank You Officer: Youre welcome End of Tape

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