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Correctional Officer Perspectives

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Sexual assault within a correctional institution is something that most citizens who live freely outside of such facilities may think is merely a small inconvenience that few criminals may possibly experience while incarcerated within the prison system. However, this is an issue that has gained a great deal of attention from those within the facilities, and those who study the facilities as well. In the article “Responding to Incidents of Sexual Victimization in Correctional Institutions: Correctional Officer Perspectives”, written by Carrie L. Cook and Jodi Lane, sexual assault in correctional institutions and how it is responded to is studied from the perspective of the correctional officer. According to Cook & Lane (2017), “This study examines …show more content…
They read current literature on how sexual assault victims are perceived in general. This helped them gain an understanding on how sexual assault victims are seen in the general public, and how the perspectives of officers may be influenced by the common perceptions about victims. From there, the researchers began to focus on specific aspects of the study they were to conduct. The first aspect of this study is the influence that literature and other outside forces can have on an individual's perception of another in general, not just in the situation of a correctional officer and an inmate. The second facet studied was more focused on the perception of a correctional officer when faced with the issue of responding to a sexual assault situation within a correctional facility. The influences of literature on the general population and the perceptions of correctional officers documented in prior studies are the two aspects that are measured and reported throughout the current study as …show more content…
Cook & Lane researched topics such as the demographics of the correctional officers, job related factors, and attitudes towards sexual assault among inmates, to help understand the effect that different influences may have on the perceptions that the officers hold. Cook & Lane (2017) give an example of how demographics play a role in the actions of a correctional officer when they stated “One study of correctional officers found that racial minorities hold more positive perceptions of inmates than whites do” (p. 1655). This demographic factor can cause a difference in the way that certain officers respond to inmate incidents such as sexual assault. For example, a minority police officer who has a more positive perception of inmates may be more willing to respond accordingly to a report of sexual assault within a correctional facility. Cook & Lane (2017) explain the next aspect of that may affect a correctional officers perception, job related factors
“Job-related factors might also be relevant when considering how officers think about managing inmates and responding to victimization incidents on the job. Seniority, job satisfaction, and job stress have been shown to affect officer attitudes about their profession or managing inmates” ( p.

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