The Correction Officer Subculture and Organizational Change

Abstract

Training and manpower development in correction has become an increasingly important issue. Most such training on the cor rectional officer level is based upon an academic model of educa tion. This kind of training approach is likely to be ineffective because of a hypothesized officer subculture, the values of which are antagonistic to the policy and values implicit in the training. Three scales, measuring correctional policy, supervisory behavior, and social climate of institutions, were administered in the correction department of a northeastern state in order to test the hypothesis. It was found that officers differed considerably from managers on both policy and social climate. A major ex planatory factor appeared to be the way in which the officers perceived themselves to be managed. Suggestions are made for changing the officer subculture values based upon small group dynamics techniques that affect the way in which officers perceive themselves to be managed and alter the perceived rewards for behaving in ways compatible with managerial policy.