The Economics of “Crossing Over”: Examining the Link between Correctional Officer Pay and Guard–Inmate Boundary Violations

“He Acted as If He Owned Me”: An Exploratory Case Study Analysis of Correctional Staff Sexual Misconduct Against Women on Parole

“…Research has explored why some correctional officers engage in boundary violations such as sexual abuse despite the laws, policies, and norms against these behaviors. Worley and Worley (2016) found that correctional staff who experienced low pay and role conflict self-reported more boundary violations, which suggested that despite difficult working conditions, these officers may view their work as bringing desired social interaction and providing a sense of satisfaction and power from their inappropriate actions. In addition, there are gender differences in how inmates experience boundary violations and how these abuses may be used as a form of social control (Blackburn et al, 2011).…”

Forced Sexual Victimization Among Youth in Custody: Do Risk Factors Vary by Gender and Perpetrator?

“…Several reports have shown that limiting cross-gender contact including searches is an important step in protecting youth in custody (Beck, 2015; English et al, 2010; Marquart et al, 2001; Worley et al, 2010; Worley & Worley, 2011, 2016). Correctional facilities are often not segregated by gender, and although males outnumber female correctional officers, women are increasingly becoming a larger proportion of correctional staff (Stephan, 2008); there is a strong relationship between correctional officer gender and youth sexual victimization.…”

Book Review: Mitchel P. Roth, Fire in the Big House: America’s Deadliest Prison Disaster. Athens, OH: Ohio University Press. 2019.

“…At the time of the fire, the average prison guard in Ohio only earned between $535 and $1,000 per year. This comes as no great surprise given that correctional officers continue to receive paltry wages (Worley and Worley, 2016). Much like today, there was a high attrition rate among correctional staff members with almost one-third of the guard workforce resigning after a year or two.…”

“…It is evident from reading this book that during the late 1920s and well into the 1930s, there was a mass incarceration movement much like there is today (Alexander, 2012;Clear, 2009;Worley and Worley, 2016). Roth notes, however, that by 1940, conditions at the Ohio Penitentiary began to dramatically improve.…”