Blog 16

I think that the biggest difference I noticed between the paths the men and women took to get into the field of corrections was the motivations behind their decisions. Men it seemed were motivated by their need for a military type of work environment whether they had been in the military in the past or just felt the need to be a part of a strict, militaristic environment. It seemed that the men liked the structure and power that a job in corrections gave them allowing for them to showcase their masculinity while getting praised for it. They were recruited for the job through these praises of their military-type traits and how well they would be able to effectively guard the inmates from themselves and each other. They were also drawn to the job because of the other benefits it afforded them such as economic stability which to many was important due to their lack of higher education and specialized job skills.

Women on the other hand were drawn to the job of correctional officer due to economic causes that allowed for them to afford themselves and their children a better life. Many of these women had been stuck at clerical jobs with very little chance of advancement and small salaries that were barely able to allow them to provide for their families. They were recruited through word-of-mouth from other women who had started working in the prisons as they were able to get them testimonies and real life stories regarding the type of work that working in the prisons would involve. Once the women were able to hear and see the difference that a correctional job made in other women’s lives they were able to make the decision to move into the prison system. It is interesting to see that men relied on their personality traits such as masculinity and the benefits afforded to those in corrections to convince them to join the field while women relied on the testimonies of other women to reassure them that going into that field is possible and valuable to their future.