The State Correction Officer as Keeper and Counselor: An Empirical Investigation of the Role

This paper addresses two essential research needs in criminal justice literature: (1) the need for an assessment of the content of the role of block officer; and (2) the need for an empirical test of the presumed irreconcilable goals of custody and treatment as these are embedded in the role of stat...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Black, Clifford M. (Author)
Contributors: Long, Henry J. ; Blair, Robert B.
Format: Electronic Book
Language:English
Published: 1981
In:Year: 1981
Online Access: Volltext (kostenfrei)
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
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Summary:This paper addresses two essential research needs in criminal justice literature: (1) the need for an assessment of the content of the role of block officer; and (2) the need for an empirical test of the presumed irreconcilable goals of custody and treatment as these are embedded in the role of state correction officer. A Task Inventory approach was adapted and a random sample of 100 correction officers in four heterogeneous state institutions were interviewed. Results of the study reveal that custodial staff spend at least sixty-percent of their on-job time performing duties not classified as security in nature. Results of the study challenge many of the existing stereotypes of correction officers in the literature. *Th