ABSTRACT

Correctional officers’ attitudes about the treatment of inmates can affect an inmate’s experience within a correctional institution. Previous research, largely outside correctional settings, suggested that individual (e.g. personality traits; racial bias) and organizational (e.g. procedural justice; training) factors related to attitudes regarding inmates. However, research involving correctional officers has been limited. In a sample of correctional officers (N = 89), we collected self-report measures of punishment-oriented attitudes, individual (personality traits, racial bias), and organizational (procedural justice in the work environment) factors. Agreeableness, a personality trait, and procedural justice in the work environment were significantly negatively associated with punishment-oriented attitudes, whereas racial bias was significantly positively associated with these attitudes. Furthermore, correctional officers who worked on a new rehabilitation-focused unit had higher perceptions of procedural justice in their work environment, and this was associated with more positive attitudes toward inmates. The present study provided preliminary evidence that both individual and organizational factors were important to consider within a correctional setting, but that instituting a procedurally just culture in the prison could promote more humane attitudes toward those currently incarcerated.

摘要

惩教人员对待囚犯的态度会影响囚犯在监狱中的经历。先前的研究主要在教养环境之外，认为个人（例如人格特质；种族偏见）和组织（例如程序正义；培训）因素与对囚犯的态度有关。但是，涉及惩教人员的研究是有限的。在一个惩教人员样本中（N = 89），我们收集了针对惩罚态度，个人（人格特质，种族偏见）和组织（工作环境中的程序正义）因素的自我报告测评。工作环境中的友好度，人格特质和程序公正性显着地受到负面影响与惩罚导向的态度相关，而种族偏见与这些态度显着正相关。此外，在一个以康复为重点的新部门工作的惩教人员在工作环境中对程序正义的认识更高，这与对囚犯的态度更加积极有关。本研究提供了初步的证据，表明在矫正环境中个人和组织因素都是重要的考虑因素，但是在监狱中建立程序上公正的文化可以促进对目前被监禁者的人道态度。