304 1! Corrections and Prison Practices—Civic Forensic^
be educated on the fact that public awareness needs to be focused primarily on
the family, where most sexual offenses occur. Numerous studies have shown the
effectiveness of treatment tor sexual offenders in reducing recidivism. With this in
mind, efforts need to be on funding prison and parole treatment programs which
are designed specifically for this population.
Suggestions for Future ResearchSexually violent predator laws are all relatively new in the United States. Once
they have been present for 5 to 10 years, analyses need to be conducted, examining
recidivism rates before and after the laws. This will provide a more accurate measure
of whether the laws are meeting their goal of curbing recidivism. In order to illustrate
the discrepancy between society's perceptions of sex offenders, studies should be
conducted which directly compare the statistical data gathered in the department
of corrections with society's perceptions of recidivism among sex offenders and the
effectiveness of treatment for this population. It is likely that the results will show
that the legislature supports the misperceptions within society rather than the data
available from corrections and mental health professionals.
Women Working in Male Prisons
Introduction
Today when you walk into a male prison it is not uncommon to see women there,
not as inmates but as correctional officers (COs) guarding the male prisoners. Prior
to the passage of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, this would have been
a rare sight. Women were delegated to work in all-female institutions and juvenile
corrections (Etheridge, Hale, & Hambrick, 1984). Fortunately, Title VII prohibited
sex discrimination by state and local governments, so female corrections officers
began to move into the male prison system. Unfortunately, they have not had a
warm welcome, especially by their male coworkers. The toughest task female COs
have to face is not guarding the prisoners, but trying to find a way to coexist with
the male COs in an atmosphere of hostility, harassment, and nonsupportiveness.
The following example illustrates the process that many female COs face when
trying to fit into the male prison system.
When Jane first began her career as a correctional officer, she chose to work in
a female prison because there were more job openings and she felt more comfortable
working with this population. After several years, she decided to move to an all-male
prison because she had two kids to help support and needed the pay raise this job would
bring. Although she was very familiar with the job requirements of a CO, she was aware
that every prison had its own rules and had never worked in a male prison.