Harsh Punishment or Resocialization - Motives for Becoming a Correctional Officer

• In Event: Correctional Staff, Culture, and Organizational Climate

Abstract

Prison systems in many countries are facing problems in recruiting and retaining prison staff, often linked with unattractive working conditions. What are the motives of young women and men to choose the job of a correctional officer despite these challenges? The aim of the research project is to examine this question. As a part of the application process for the prison system in the federal land of Baden-Wuerttemberg/Germany, since 2023 all job candidates were asked to fill a questionnaire and to assess the subjective relevance of given motives. Actually, about 900 completed questionnaires are available for analyses.
The results show different categories of motives: The first and most important motive was the demand for a secure and interesting job and working in a team followed by needs for an occupational change. Nevertheless, “dark motives” like favoring harsh punishment and the desire for wearing a weapon are found. There were differences in terms of gender, age and previous professional experience of the applicants. In addition to the importance of the results for the further recruitment of correctional officers, there is also a relevance for maintaining their work motivation.

Author

• Joachim Obergfell-Fuchs, Academy for Correctional Officers Baden-Wuerttemberg