Advancing Corrections Journal - Edition #17 - Designing a Humane Corrections: Possibilities and Challenges (ACJ17-A009)

Article 9: Staff Perceptions of Normalization in a US Correctional Agency ACJ17-A009)

Abstract

Globally, humane approaches to supervise incarcerated people such as normalization, or creating prisons that “approximate as closely as possible the positive aspects of life in the community” (Council of Europe, 2006: rule 5), require staff buy-in. In the United States, where prisons typically have punitive approaches, correctional staff buy-in is a potential barrier to change. Through a survey administered to correctional staff, this study explored perceptions at the start of a normalization initiative. From a sample of 1,676 respondents, results showed that correctional staff generally supported normalization despite security concerns. The article concludes with implications for agencies considering similar reforms.

Please log in to download the full article. Access is available exclusively to ICPA Full, Staff, and Professional Members.

Authors

Amy Maniola Allen

Researcher, RTI International, United States

Amy Maniola Allen, MPA, is a Corrections and Reentry Researcher at RTI International where she contributes to research and program evaluation through policy review, data collection and analysis, and communication of findings to practitioners and other stakeholders. Her primary research interests include correctional culture, officer wellbeing, and reentry programs and policies. Before joining RTI, Ms. Allen worked as a Research Manager at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, where she studied program implementation and policy change.

Nicole Jasperson

Research Sociologist, RTI International, United States

Nicole Jasperson, MS, a research sociologist in the Corrections and Reentry Research Program at RTI International, has specialized knowledge and practical experience in the areas of corrections and reentry policy and practice. Her research interests include barriers to reentry, recidivism, desistance, and leading quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis tasks. Before joining RTI, Ms. Jasperson served as a research and data analyst for a State Department of Corrections and the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission.

Anna E. Kosloski

Associate Professor, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, United States

Anna E. Kosloski, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at the College of Public Service at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. Her research specialization focuses on the intersection of race, gender, social class, and crime as it pertains to violence and victimization. She also has a history of partnering with criminal justice agencies on research and program evaluations. She believes that research can be an impetus for action.

Katy Hudson

Teaching Professor, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, United States

Dr. Katy Hudson, Teaching Professor in the UCCS College of Public Service, has over 20 years of both academic and practitioner experience in the field of criminal justice. Dr. Hudson’s background has centered primarily on corrections. She began her work with the Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) in 1997 as a Corrections Officer 1. In her 15-year career at CDOC, she rose to the level of lieutenant, monitoring and supervising the activities of the safety and security of the corrections facility through numerous assignments within the organization including shift commander, facility training coordinator, academy trainer, and security specialist. Dr. Hudson has worked with both male and female offender populations and has held institutional assignments at all classification levels.

Advancing Corrections Journal - Edition #17 - Designing a Humane Corrections: Possibilities and Challenges (ACJ17-A009)

Related topics

You may also be interested in