Abstract
The purpose of this chapter is to investigate the often-overlooked victimization experienced by correctional staff, specifically corrections officers. Corrections officers are particularly vulnerable to on-the-job victimization as they interact daily with potentially dangerous offenders in often crowded conditions. This chapter examines the types of victimization experienced by corrections officers, the personal characteristics of those victimized, the effect of prison context on correctional officer victimization, and the toll of victimization on COs. Lastly, it provides several policy implications to promote correctional officer safety.
TopIntroduction
The safety of both inmates and prison personnel is of utmost importance in the operation of America’s correctional facilities. Scholars have produced an ample amount of research regarding violence and/or victimization (i.e., physical, sexual, etc.) in prisons, though the vast majority of this research centers on inmate-on-inmate or staff-on-inmate violence. Despite the abundance of literature on the topic of inmate victimization, there are few studies examining cases where the correctional staff—particularly corrections officers—are the victims.
Existing research indicates there were over 1.4 million individuals incarcerated in state and federal prisons in the U.S. in 2018, while an additional 735,000 were held in local jails (Maruschak & Minton, 2020). The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2019) estimates that there are roughly 462,300 correctional officers (COs) working in the United States, making a median salary of $45,300 per year. The same publication describes the correctional working environment as follows:
Working in a correctional institution can be stressful and dangerous. Correctional officers and jailers have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations, often resulting from confrontations with inmates. Officers work in shifts that cover all hours of the day and night, including weekends and holidays. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019, Work Environment section)
Corrections officers are on the front line of daily activities and interactions with inmates; they have the most everyday contact with inmates, compared to other prison staff, yet very little is known about their personal experiences of victimization behind bars. COs are routinely exposed to injury, death, and the stress of having to deal with specialized inmate populations, such as the young, the elderly, gangs, the mentally ill, and inmates with diseases. Riots are also a possibility, as well as safety issues related to seizing contraband (e.g., cell phones, drugs, weapons), breaking up inmate fights, escorting inmates around the facility, body and cell searches, and mail searches. COs must also provide aid to inmates who are assaulted or who try to harm themselves. A few of the routine job duties of COs include supervising inmate behavior, escorting inmates, settling disputes, and searching inmates or cells for contraband such as weapons, cellphones, and drugs. In fact, Ferdik and Smith (2017) suggest that corrections officers “work under dangerous conditions that can threaten their general safety and wellness” (p. 1). As such, prisons and jails present a unique atmosphere for examining the victimization suffered by corrections officers.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Correctional Victimization: Intentional harm caused to correctional personnel, usually by inmates.
Macro-Level: Data, research and/or variables pertaining directly to the contextual characteristics of groupings or aggregates (i.e., prison characteristics, such as population, security level, crowding, staff-to-inmate ratio, etc.).
Inmate-on-Staff Violence: Physical, sexual, or verbal attacks resulting in serious or minor injuries to correctional staff.
Prison Violence: Physical, sexual, or verbal incidents resulting in serious or minor injuries, and usually measured as inmate-on-inmate, staff-on-inmate, or inmate-on-staff.
Correctional Facility: A secure location where people are held and being punished for committing a crime, including but not limited to public and private institutions, state and federal prisons, local jails, and detention centers.
Correctional Staff: Individuals who work at correctional facilities, including but not limited to administrators, correctional officers, medical personnel, case managers, counselors, and treatment staff.
Correctional Officer Fatality: On-the-job incident, could be felonious or not, at a correctional facility that resulted in the death of a correctional officer.
Micro-Level: Data, research, and/or variables pertaining directly to the personal characteristics of individuals (i.e., age, race, sex, etc.).