Citation

Jackson JE, Ammen S. J. Crim. Justice 1996; 24(2): 153-166.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1996, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/0047-2352(95)00062-3

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The attitude of correctional officers is a crucial variable related to how the prison system acts, reacts, and interacts with inmates. The proposition that the induction of minorities into the correctional workplace will induce more compassion toward inmate clients by reducing both tension and hostility within the prison is inconclusive. This article examines the recent inclusion of minorities into the traditionally Caucasian male correctional officer's world within Texas prisons. Are minority attitudes toward treatment programs for inmates different from those of Caucasian officers? The observations and analysis of the data support the position that attitudinal variation among officers' attitudes are significantly related to the race of the officer. That is, the attitudes of minority officers toward treatment programs does appear to be statistically different from those exhibited by the traditional Caucasian male officer. Most interesting is the finding that the African American officers rather than the Caucasian officers are less punitive over time in their attitudes.