Ethics in a Mountain State County Jail

Abstract

This research was conducted to identify and explain factors that shape staff and inmate perceptions of ethical behavior within a correctional setting. Prior research has found that staff do perceive high levels of deviance among their peers, but this varies by both the facility (jails were perceived as more unethical) and staff characteristics, with female and older staff perceiving their workplace as more ethical. The current research attempts to expand this line of study by surveying both inmates and staff on their perceptions of staff ethics within a jail in a mountain state jail. This research first examines what the general perceptions are among these two populations in regard to staff ethics. Second, it answers the question of whether perceived differences exist and how they vary between staff and inmates in regard to staff ethical behavior.