Nefarious and Disconcerting Motivations for Choosing a Correctional Officer Position: A Deviant Case Analysis
Most research finds that individuals are drawn to the correctional officer occupation for the pay and benefits or because it provides a new and exciting opportunity. However, these are not the only interests for choosing a correctional officer position. The current study draws on a sample of pre-ser...
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Otros Autores: | ; ; |
Tipo de documento: | Electrónico Artículo |
Lenguaje: | Inglés |
Publicado: |
2023
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En: |
Criminal justice and behavior
Año: 2023, Volumen: 50, Número: 10, Páginas: 1506-1525 |
Acceso en línea: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
Journals Online & Print: | |
Verificar disponibilidad: | HBZ Gateway |
Palabras clave: |
Sumario: | Most research finds that individuals are drawn to the correctional officer occupation for the pay and benefits or because it provides a new and exciting opportunity. However, these are not the only interests for choosing a correctional officer position. The current study draws on a sample of pre-service correctional officers surveyed prior to beginning their jobs (N = 673). In the spirit of the deviant case method, we focus on a subset of our sample who provided problematic motivations for becoming officers (n = 38). Using a thematic analytic approach, we identified five broad themes within this nefariously/disconcertingly motivated sample: use of force, punitive focus, power and control, cavalier ulterior motives, and problematic social boundaries. We theorize, based on prior research, that these individuals could constitute a meaningful minority that may contribute to the detriment of both their organizations and those they are overseeing. Future research should explore this possibility. |
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ISSN: | 1552-3594 |
DOI: | 10.1177/00938548231187415 |