Women of Justice: Exploring the Career Paths of Female Police and Probation Officers

• In Event: Barriers Remain: Understanding how Women Enter and Navigate the Policing Profession

Abstract

Women remain a minority in policing and the percentage of female police officers has slowed between 2000 and 2007 moving from 10.6 to 11.9 percent of the total police force. At the same time, women have made great advancements in community corrections—to the point where they fill more than half of all probation and parole officer positions in the United States. Despite the marked difference in prevalence of women in these occupations, there is a dearth of research examining differences across these criminal justice workplaces, especially considering the distinctions between work environments. In particular, little is known about how and why women decide to enter these professions and what their experiences are as they progress in the field. This exploratory study contributes to filling in this gap in the literature by analyzing in-depth interviews with 47 female police officers and 29 female probation officers at various ranks. Results indicate that women have similar reasons for entering policing and probation, but differences in their experiences during the course of their careers emerge that can be instructive for organizations seeking to improve job satisfaction, retention, and promotion of women.

Authors

• Samantha Epstein, University of Massachusetts, Lowell

• Kim Kras, University of Massachusetts, Lowell

• Melissa S. Morabito, University of Massachusetts, Lowell

• Tara O’Connor Shelley, Tarleton State University