Maintaining Order and Following the Rules: Gender Differences in Punishing Inmate Misconduct

• In Event: 477 - Section on Crime, Law, and Deviance Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable: Section on Crime, Law, and Deviance Roundtables. Table 01. Punishment and Incarceration 1

Abstract

For this paper, we examine gender differences in how staff members address inmate misconduct. Using in-depth interviews with forty-three correctional employees, we focus on how their various disciplinary styles create interpersonal conflict between staff members. We find that over half of interviewees are identified as “formal responders” who consistently punish inmate misconduct with formal sanctions, even if doing so creates conflict within the organization. However, female formal responders also claim that they work closely with male inmates to explain the importance of following the rules. They state that this puts them at odds with their male coworkers who misinterpret this behavior as instigating sexual relationships.

Authors

• Rebecca Trammell, Metropolitan State University-Denver

• Jennifer Raby, Metropolitan State University-Denver

• Alexandra Anderson, Metropolitan State University-Denver

• Shannon Hampton, Metropolitan State University-Denver

• Travis Stickney, Metropolitan State University-Denver