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- Title
A Pretest-Posttest Evaluation of Academy Training and Fear of Beginning a Correctional Officer Career.
- Authors
Burton, Alexander L.; Jonson, Cheryl Lero; Adkins, Paige A.; Zidar, Celine; Miller, William T.
- Abstract
This article discusses the fear that individuals may experience when considering a career as a correctional officer. It acknowledges the influence of media portrayals of prisons as dangerous and violent, which can contribute to this fear. The article also explores how demographic factors, such as race and gender, can impact the levels of fear experienced by correctional officers. It suggests that training academies may have the potential to mitigate and lessen fear levels among newly hired officers. The study conducted in the article examines the baseline levels of fear among correctional officers before and after academy training, and it includes separate analyses for different demographic groups. The results show that while overall fear levels did not significantly decrease after training, there were differences in fear levels between male and female trainees, as well as between White and non-White trainees. Notably, White trainees experienced a significant reduction in fear after academy training. The article concludes with recommendations for correctional departments to address and reduce fear among newly hired officers, including dispelling misconceptions about prisons, evaluating fear levels throughout an officer's career, and promoting diversity in training staff.
- Subjects
CORRECTIONAL personnel; JOB stress; ITEM response theory
- Publication
Federal Probation, 2023, Vol 87, Issue 2, p47
- ISSN
0014-9128
- Publication type
Article