Prison Administration

Before the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which banned discrimination on the basis of sex in employment, women were generally excluded from the field of prison administration. Those who did work in the prison system were generally confined to clerical jobs, [Page 1153]teaching, support positions, or working with adult and juvenile female offenders. In 1969, when women made up 40 percent of the total workforce, only 12 percent of those working in the corrections field were female. A year later, barriers that banned women from working with male prisoners were removed, and females were provided with greater opportunities for employment. Between 1985 and 2002, the number of women correctional officers rose from 13 percent to 22.7 percent.

In the late 19th century, female reformers had bullied their way onto corrections boards in order to improve the lot of prisoners generally and female offenders particularly. In 1870, reformers founded the American Correctional Association (ACA). Initially, female members focused on the rights of female offenders, but as the number of women working in corrections expanded, ACA broadened its scope to address the issues of women working in the field of prison administration. By 1912, the Association of Women Members (AWM) of the American Prison Association was founded under the guidance of Maud Ballington Booth, a well-known prison reformer who had cofounded the Salvation Army in 1887.

Dedicated to promoting the Public Correctional Policy on Employment of Women in Corrections, by the 1970s, the Women's Task Force, which later became the Women Working in Corrections Committee, had evolved as a working arm of the AWM. In the 21st century, much of the work of AWA is accomplished through national conferences that bring women together to address issues of interest to women working in prison administration and furnish them with training and support.

Individuals working in prison administration may be employed as correctional or detention officers or they may work in various administrative or support positions. In most cases, they work five-day workweeks and may be either on an eight-hour schedule or on rotating shifts. They are often required to work on holidays and weekends as well. Applicants for correctional officers must have at least a high school diploma or its equivalency. Many individuals employed in the field also have military experience. Those who work in federal prisons are required to have at least a bachelor's degree and at least three years of field experience. At the administrative level, a college degree is generally required. Training is conducted according to guidelines established by the ACA. Additional training is required at the federal level. New applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 37 and have no felony convictions. Career advancement may occur as a result of job experience, educational advancement, testing, or bidding on higher-level positions. In 2008, the median annual wage of those working in corrections was $38,380, and salaries ranged from $25,300 to $64,110. For supervisors, the median annual salary was $57,380, and salaries ranged from a low of $32,300 to a high of $86,970.

...