Punitive and Rehabilitative Orientations Toward Offenders Among Community Correctional Officers in China

Abstract

This study focuses on two primary control orientations in corrections—punishment and rehabilitation. Based on data collected from 225 community correctional officers in Hubei, China, in 2013, officers’ control orientations toward offenders and the effects of job characteristics, agency characteristics, and sociodemographics on these orientations were investigated. The research found that Chinese community correctional officers integrated punishment and rehabilitation orientations. Agency characteristics and rehabilitation views affected the officers’ views, while only one (age) of the job characteristics and demographic variables was significant.

An Exploratory Study of the Views of Supervision Strategies by Community Corrections Probationers in China

“…For example, Jiang et al (2015) examined the level of the public support for community corrections using survey data from 764 citizens in Hubei province, China. Jiang and his associates also investigated punitive and rehabilitative orientations toward offenders among correctional officers in China, as well as correctional officer job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and predictors of these attitudes (Jiang et al, 2016; Jiang, Lambert, Zhang, et al, 2018). Jin, Sun, Jiang, Wang, & Wen (2018a, 2018b) assessed officers’ burnout, stress, and their correlates.…”

“…Previous studies have established that institutional factors are important predictors of officers’ attitudes toward organizations and jobs in community corrections (Jiang, Jin et al, 2016; Jiang, Lambert, Zhang et al, 2018; Jiang, Lambert et al, 2016; Jiang et al, 2015) and prison (Jiang, Lambert, Liu, & Zhang, 2018; Jiang, Lambert, Lui, Kelley et al, 2018; Liu, Lambert, Jiang, & Zhang, 2017) in China and prison in the United States (Lambert, 2004; Lambert & Hogan, 2009). Attitude studies among Chinese community corrections officers also showed that one type of work attitude often affected another work attitude.…”

“…Attitude studies among Chinese community corrections officers also showed that one type of work attitude often affected another work attitude. For example, work satisfaction is positively related to organizational commitment (Jiang, Lambert, Zhang et al, 2018), and perceived promotional opportunity led to higher levels of satisfaction with work (Jiang, Lambert et al, 2016). Walters (1995) reported that prison security levels are related to offenders’ levels of criminogenic cognitions.…”

“…These individual characteristics were also employed by Eichelsheim et al (2015) or Mandracchia and Morgan (2012). In the research on officers’ attitudes in China’s community corrections, age, gender, education, and marital status were included in the analyses (Jiang, Jin et al, 2016; Jiang, Lambert et al, 2016; Jiang, Lambert, Zhang et al, 2018). Drawing from the above studies, this article includes age, gender, education, marital status, and mental health.…”

“…Drawing from the above studies, this article includes age, gender, education, marital status, and mental health. In most cases, demographic characteristics were found not related to offender attitudes (the Tolerance towards Law Violation (TLV) model from Eichelsheim et al, 2015; Jiang, Lambert, Zhang et al, 2018; Jiang, Jin et al, 2016; Jiang, Lambert et al, 2016; Jin et al, 2018a [except gender], 2018b). They are included here as control variables to explore their relationship to probationers’ attitudes toward community correctional supervision in Mainland China.…”