The story was hard to read due to the extreme violence that Lois Fraley and Officer Auld went through. This horrible situation was initiated by two men, Wassenaar and Steven Coy. Wassanaar posed as a Corrections Officer by stealing a uniform from a guard that he compromised. Fraley and Auld let this so called guard into their area, and Auld was immediately compromised. From that point 15 days of violence and torture ensued. The beat and rapped Fraley repeatedly over the next 15 day before she was finally released. Her partner, Officer Auld, was released after 7 days to critical injuries. By the 4th day Fraley contemplated suicide, she considered using her badge pin to puncture one of her veins.
Survival is what she strived for and she did all she could to stay strong. She stopped washing so they wouldn’t sexually assault her, and she stopped drinking so she wouldn’t have to urinate in front of them. She claimed that during those times she “laughed, joked, cried, I talked to my picture of my daughter and Tere (her partner for four years), I talked to dead family members, I said goodbye, I prayed….I’m a recovering alcoholic.” When she was finally rescued she was greeted by Dora Schirro the Director of Prisons and Governor Janet Napolitano.
Director Schirro reflects on the situation and confirms that the prison guards were not properly trained. Schirro soon discovered that security inside the prison was “Lax, sloppy, and careless”. She also discovered that the training regime by officers had no uniformity so figuring out what each CO knew was basically impossible. Schirro points out the lack of training by the Corrections Officers that she had inherited within the Lewis prison, 25% couldn’t pass the lowest level of competency tests.
This lack of training is supported by Britton’s ideas. Prison Guards truly believe that they are undertrained when taking on new jobs as Corrections Officers. The articles for this section along with the Britton reading affirm that notion. I like what Schirro is doing by instituting new policies and changes. If something is broke it needs to be fixed and I think Schirro is taking this very same approach. She is a noble person who doesn’t blame any single person from the past. She is soft spoken in regards to her critics as well, saying “If you don’t have something nice to say”. In my opinion Schirro is a great asset to the state of Arizona, and we are lucky to have an individual like her running our correctional system.
Britton makes some useful suggestions that I agree with. He too believes that more training and better policy is needed and that it may avoid future hostage takeovers. Better training is definitely something that wouldn’t hurt. Training would make these officers feel more comfortable and better prepared if these tough situations were to arise. Education, training and a positive outlook towards policy change will all make for a better system. Implementation and follow thru are what we now need to focus our time on.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Blog #19
Geena Davis speaks about the gender discrepancy within our media in regards to children in particular. She discusses the successes that two of her movies had in regards to making a positive impact on women throughout the country. Geena was greatly impacted on by the reactions of her fans and wanted to make a difference e in the way women are depicted within today’s media. She gives examples from various cartoons. The Smurfs had one female character named Smurfette, that was originally described and ugly with ugly eyelashes. Papa Smurf eventually transformed her into “a blonde bombshell”, and soon after she was beloved by her fellow Smurfs. Is this a coincidence? I think not. She discusses Winnie the Pooh and the one female character from that cartoon series, Kanga. Kanga appears to be just half a character. My favorite example was the character Miss Piggy, who has cleavage. These images and examples are outrageous when you really think about it. When I personally sit back and look at how characters are depicted it makes me mad and sad at the same time. Our society is molding the minds of our young children at a very young age and gender is at the heart of some of these subliminal messages. Geena proves that over the years little has changed and I believe that thought to be true. She aims to help make things equal in terms of the way sex and gender is depicted and I commend her for that.
These depictions have spilled over into the way we act as adults. The readings and research from Britton clearly show that gender plays a role in the way we think and act as adults. Men’s and women’s prisons differ. Men and women working within in similar Penal positions are treated differently. Even women’s and men’s pay is shockingly one sided. There are so many ways gender if falsely depicted in society today that we (society) should be ashamed. Thankfully people like Ms. Davis and organizations are doing everything they can to make sure everyone is accurately depicted within our media.
These depictions have spilled over into the way we act as adults. The readings and research from Britton clearly show that gender plays a role in the way we think and act as adults. Men’s and women’s prisons differ. Men and women working within in similar Penal positions are treated differently. Even women’s and men’s pay is shockingly one sided. There are so many ways gender if falsely depicted in society today that we (society) should be ashamed. Thankfully people like Ms. Davis and organizations are doing everything they can to make sure everyone is accurately depicted within our media.
Blog #18
All Corrections Officers are required to complete a formal training before they begin their assigned duties. The state and federal systems usually train men and women together and require the same curriculum and testing. In reading Britton’s study it is quite obvious that most state department’s of correction are underfunded, while the federal system has more money because of the government’s contributions. It is interesting to note that federal officers seem to have a higher level of satisfaction compared to state trained officers as well. Most officers see their trainings as slightly helpful but claim that the real training is done “on the job”.
I found one particular section of Britton’s research to be shocking. It seems time and time again CO’s claimed that their co-worker had helped them with their job, but inmates trained them. Officer’s repeatedly affirmed the fact that inmates actually helped them learn their new job, and did it willingly. The inmates actually seem to want order just as much as the Corrections Officers do. One CO claimed that if he really wanted to know how to do something or find out what had happened he would simply ask one of the inmates.
Male and women officers also noted that violence within prisons was exaggerated greatly during their training. In fact some of the videos shown during training caused recruits to quit. These officers interviewed claimed that the video violence and the portrayal of male violence within prisons were overblown. I survey in 1995 proves their accusations showing that 91% of prison’s recorded no such violence in regards to rioting throughout an entire year.
Men and women inmates are quite different statistically and this transcends into the way they are treated during their sentences. Men are more likely to be serving time for violent offenses. Men have longer criminal histories. And men are more likely to escape once in custody. Because of this male inmates are subject to higher security standards than that of females. A different training regime needs to be instituted due to these drastic differences within male and female prisons. The proof is in the pudding. Corrections Officers time and time again say that the training is based solely on male inmates and prisons. Why is it that these officers are not being trained properly?
I found one particular section of Britton’s research to be shocking. It seems time and time again CO’s claimed that their co-worker had helped them with their job, but inmates trained them. Officer’s repeatedly affirmed the fact that inmates actually helped them learn their new job, and did it willingly. The inmates actually seem to want order just as much as the Corrections Officers do. One CO claimed that if he really wanted to know how to do something or find out what had happened he would simply ask one of the inmates.
Male and women officers also noted that violence within prisons was exaggerated greatly during their training. In fact some of the videos shown during training caused recruits to quit. These officers interviewed claimed that the video violence and the portrayal of male violence within prisons were overblown. I survey in 1995 proves their accusations showing that 91% of prison’s recorded no such violence in regards to rioting throughout an entire year.
Men and women inmates are quite different statistically and this transcends into the way they are treated during their sentences. Men are more likely to be serving time for violent offenses. Men have longer criminal histories. And men are more likely to escape once in custody. Because of this male inmates are subject to higher security standards than that of females. A different training regime needs to be instituted due to these drastic differences within male and female prisons. The proof is in the pudding. Corrections Officers time and time again say that the training is based solely on male inmates and prisons. Why is it that these officers are not being trained properly?
Blog #17
The NBC documentary “Lockup” was an enlightening viewing experience. I have read our text books and assignment articles which have been very helpful throughout the semester. However, the video opened my eyes to situations and ideas which I was otherwise unaware of. The female prison system is interesting, complex, and from an outsiders view fascinating. There were over 1,100 inmates within the North Carolina Women’s Prison. These criminals have committed crimes of murder, fraud, burglary, D.U.I. and many other offenses. Many of the women within the video are repeat offenders and have been behind bars multiple times. The prison life is a fascinating one.
The video shows daily life as seen by the inmates. They get three meals a day, and make about 40 cents a day working prison jobs. Two particular women were interviewed and made money by loan sharking. The two women worked together and had sexual relations with one another. At times they would find “weak staff” members to get items like drugs, cigarettes, and other things from the free world. “Hustle”, in their minds was the only way to make money and stay above water behind bars. Other inmates had legitimate work. Some women worked in “Cosmo”, a beauty salon. They were able to interact with one another while learning a valuable trade that could potentially better their lives upon releasal. Another useful job that could be had behind bars was with a travel agency. These women actually interacted over the phone with free people from the outside world. These inmates helped people over the phone with travel planning. This job like the others seemed to allow the prisoners a chance to escape from the prison world. Cafeteria work and cleaning were other jobs that prisoners were able to work as well.
Personal affection was a topic discussed in the video. Many of the women inmates were lesbian. These women looked towards the relationships for support and a sense of worth. The women in the video seemingly loved each other and even proclaimed that the relationship “wasn’t all about sex”. Danica had a term 8 years shorter than her lover. When questioned about what she would do when she was released 8 months from now she claimed “she would probably be back”. Shockingly Danica didn’t know what she would do in the free world without her partner Jennifer and vowed she may willingly come back to prison so she could spend her life behind bars with her partner.
The video briefly touched on the lives of corrections officers. The officers were not at all what I had expected and differed greatly from media’s view. There were male and female officers within this all-female prison. The male officer’s needed a female officer’s accompaniment when escorting female prisoners. This insured that male officers would not be falsely accused by inmates in regards to mistreatment or rape. The male and female inmates were not as described in the media. Each guard seemed to be relatively normal, not being overly violent or aggressive. The guards were cautious when dealing with inmates and assertive when doing their respective jobs. In my opinion the correctional officers did a great job in regards to their work. They properly enforced the rules by using a passive aggressive approach. This approach simultaneously earned the inmates respect while allowing CO’s to complete their job in an efficient and correct manner.
The text from Britton and the video both give great insight into the Women’s penal system. It is a mysterious and dynamic animal that is constantly changing. The book and video provide an excellent point of view both from prisoner’s and guard’s and allow an outsider to learn about these systems without actually being a part of It themselves. Both the video and text show that dangers can arise and a careful approach to working in the Penal system is a necessity. Caution must be used as injury and death can occur with a lack thereof. The book also touches on the dynamic between minority Corrections Officer’s and inmates and makes an interesting point. Minority Corrections Officer’s find themselves sympathizing with inmates of a similar race. I can see how this could happen. Inmates are treated differently than free people, and in my opinion this is ultimately fair. These people are behind bars for a reason and their punishment must be served. I don’t believe any preferential or unusually cruel punishment should be given but reality proves this is not the case. Again the justice system is constantly changing and adapting to current situations and legislation. I have faith that the right decisions will be made in regards to Penal Legislation. I truly believe our society will make these institutions, and the laws that go along with them, as fair and just as possible.
The video shows daily life as seen by the inmates. They get three meals a day, and make about 40 cents a day working prison jobs. Two particular women were interviewed and made money by loan sharking. The two women worked together and had sexual relations with one another. At times they would find “weak staff” members to get items like drugs, cigarettes, and other things from the free world. “Hustle”, in their minds was the only way to make money and stay above water behind bars. Other inmates had legitimate work. Some women worked in “Cosmo”, a beauty salon. They were able to interact with one another while learning a valuable trade that could potentially better their lives upon releasal. Another useful job that could be had behind bars was with a travel agency. These women actually interacted over the phone with free people from the outside world. These inmates helped people over the phone with travel planning. This job like the others seemed to allow the prisoners a chance to escape from the prison world. Cafeteria work and cleaning were other jobs that prisoners were able to work as well.
Personal affection was a topic discussed in the video. Many of the women inmates were lesbian. These women looked towards the relationships for support and a sense of worth. The women in the video seemingly loved each other and even proclaimed that the relationship “wasn’t all about sex”. Danica had a term 8 years shorter than her lover. When questioned about what she would do when she was released 8 months from now she claimed “she would probably be back”. Shockingly Danica didn’t know what she would do in the free world without her partner Jennifer and vowed she may willingly come back to prison so she could spend her life behind bars with her partner.
The video briefly touched on the lives of corrections officers. The officers were not at all what I had expected and differed greatly from media’s view. There were male and female officers within this all-female prison. The male officer’s needed a female officer’s accompaniment when escorting female prisoners. This insured that male officers would not be falsely accused by inmates in regards to mistreatment or rape. The male and female inmates were not as described in the media. Each guard seemed to be relatively normal, not being overly violent or aggressive. The guards were cautious when dealing with inmates and assertive when doing their respective jobs. In my opinion the correctional officers did a great job in regards to their work. They properly enforced the rules by using a passive aggressive approach. This approach simultaneously earned the inmates respect while allowing CO’s to complete their job in an efficient and correct manner.
The text from Britton and the video both give great insight into the Women’s penal system. It is a mysterious and dynamic animal that is constantly changing. The book and video provide an excellent point of view both from prisoner’s and guard’s and allow an outsider to learn about these systems without actually being a part of It themselves. Both the video and text show that dangers can arise and a careful approach to working in the Penal system is a necessity. Caution must be used as injury and death can occur with a lack thereof. The book also touches on the dynamic between minority Corrections Officer’s and inmates and makes an interesting point. Minority Corrections Officer’s find themselves sympathizing with inmates of a similar race. I can see how this could happen. Inmates are treated differently than free people, and in my opinion this is ultimately fair. These people are behind bars for a reason and their punishment must be served. I don’t believe any preferential or unusually cruel punishment should be given but reality proves this is not the case. Again the justice system is constantly changing and adapting to current situations and legislation. I have faith that the right decisions will be made in regards to Penal Legislation. I truly believe our society will make these institutions, and the laws that go along with them, as fair and just as possible.
Blog #16
Prison jobs are relatively unattractive to today’s society. This lack of demand for the work makes these positions fairly easy to obtain. Prison systems only require a candidate to be 21 years old, have graduated from high school, and have no felony convictions. In fact only 1 percent of children surveyed chose “Prison Guard” as an occupation. These types of correctional jobs just aren’t sought after. The average corrections officer starts off making $23,000.00 a year, which is an income considered to be below the poverty line. And the average income of a Corrections officer with experience is only $30,524.00. These low income jobs have accelerated change within the working demographic brining more female, African-American, and Hispanic employees. There are similarities and differences when comparing men and women’s career paths within the corrections field. For instance, most of the people Britton surveyed indicated that they are not in the position in which they aspired to be (P 80). No one interviewed grew up with the pursuit of working within the prison system. The individuals surveyed usually bounced back and forth between different jobs before they landed work in the prison system. That is, both men and women basically “drifted” into these jobs.
The paths to prison work for men and women couldn’t be more different. For men 44% come from some sort of military occupation and training, while only 7% of women come from a similar field. For women the most common type of previous employment comes from clerical work. 37% of these women surveyed worked as secretaries and clerks. Conversely no man reported these types of clerical jobs prior to prison work. The basic summarization of past work in men comes from military experience, while women come from entirely different fields. I found it quite interesting to read about different career paths by which women and men take when finally obtaining these types of jobs.
The motivations seem to be quite similar amongst men and women when taking these types of jobs as well. Usually pay and benefits make more than enough sense for candidates to choose these positions. Vacations, medical benefits, and a salary make more the enough sense for applicants given the scarce amount of work that most of the prison towns have available. I don’t believe prison work is something I could ever do, but I commend those who have these dangerous jobs.
The paths to prison work for men and women couldn’t be more different. For men 44% come from some sort of military occupation and training, while only 7% of women come from a similar field. For women the most common type of previous employment comes from clerical work. 37% of these women surveyed worked as secretaries and clerks. Conversely no man reported these types of clerical jobs prior to prison work. The basic summarization of past work in men comes from military experience, while women come from entirely different fields. I found it quite interesting to read about different career paths by which women and men take when finally obtaining these types of jobs.
The motivations seem to be quite similar amongst men and women when taking these types of jobs as well. Usually pay and benefits make more than enough sense for candidates to choose these positions. Vacations, medical benefits, and a salary make more the enough sense for applicants given the scarce amount of work that most of the prison towns have available. I don’t believe prison work is something I could ever do, but I commend those who have these dangerous jobs.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Blog #15
The first United States Prison opened in 1785. And by 1820 America had 15 prisons. The first groups of women inmates were harbored alongside men in 1825 and by 1839 Mount Pleasant Female Prison opened as an all Female institutions. Early on women were treated as “annoyances” while men were subject to reform. Reform was the goal during the second phase of the US prison system. The penal system aimed to shape the ideal middle class man, while sending women to have way homes for rehabilitation. Women were often mistreated within the early days of the penal system. Raping and beatings by men were commonplace. All and all the average woman inmate was basically neglected, mistreated, and often bludgeoned. Early prisons also had a diverse group of criminals. There were murderer’s, gambler’s, bank robber’s etc. Today one would mostly see non violent drug offenders. These non violent criminals are at times mistreated and put on the same level as that of very violent offenders.
Segregation and gender perception played a role in inmates work as well. Female inmate’s jobs included cooking and cleaning, while men undertook physical labor like construction and railroad work. I find it fascinating that our penal system, much like society has gender specific stereotypes. Law reflects societal perception and this transcends into our justice system.
The Arizona penal system has had a similar following to the prison system of the United States. Yuma, opened the first state penitentiary in which men and women were both prisoners, and it seems gender specific work were given to prisoner’s based on their respective sex. With time reform of the penal system occurred in Arizona and eventually Yuma Territorial Prison closed. Today you will see a similar system to that across the United States. Men and Women have separate penal institutions within Arizona as well as around the rest of the country.
Segregation and gender perception played a role in inmates work as well. Female inmate’s jobs included cooking and cleaning, while men undertook physical labor like construction and railroad work. I find it fascinating that our penal system, much like society has gender specific stereotypes. Law reflects societal perception and this transcends into our justice system.
The Arizona penal system has had a similar following to the prison system of the United States. Yuma, opened the first state penitentiary in which men and women were both prisoners, and it seems gender specific work were given to prisoner’s based on their respective sex. With time reform of the penal system occurred in Arizona and eventually Yuma Territorial Prison closed. Today you will see a similar system to that across the United States. Men and Women have separate penal institutions within Arizona as well as around the rest of the country.
Blog #14
On page 3 of At Work In the Iron Cage, Britton describes the “theory of gendered organizations”. She states “the theory argues that we should see organizations not as neutral organisms infected by the germs of workers’ gender (and sexuality and race and class) identities but as sites in which these attributes are present in preexisting assumptions and constructed through ongoing practice.” Britton uses a number of sources throughout her book when discussing the “theory of gendered organizations”. The primary information used comes from the interviews of seventy-two corrections officers working within 2 men’s, and three women’s prisons. Structure, agency, and culture are all interlinked in an ongoing process of organizational gendering. I believe that prison system provides proof that the above mentioned intertwine when organizational gendering is involved. That is structure, agency, and culture all play a vital role in the process of organizational gendering.
Britton also says that “Organizations are gendered at the level of structure.” What she is basically saying is that there is a division between public and private spheres in regards to work. Men are more apt to benefit from this type of structure. For instance it is proven that men have an easier time and adapt to these types of work. I agree with what Britton is saying. Many employers require demanding hours, responsibility, and commitment. These particular types of jobs make it very hard on women that have to juggle the responsibility of family life. Many of these jobs are very demanding and statistics show that men work more overtime hours then women in similar positions. I believe this is due to the fact that most women have extra responsibilities outside. These responsibilities consume as much if not more time than the 9-5 job someone may work. I sympathize for these women. Great strides have been made in terms of reform, especially in regards to the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972. Legislation along with the EEOC of 1972 has broken down many barriers. These combined policies and jurisdiction are steps in the right direction, but progress is always welcomed.
Britton also says that “Organizations are gendered at the level of structure.” What she is basically saying is that there is a division between public and private spheres in regards to work. Men are more apt to benefit from this type of structure. For instance it is proven that men have an easier time and adapt to these types of work. I agree with what Britton is saying. Many employers require demanding hours, responsibility, and commitment. These particular types of jobs make it very hard on women that have to juggle the responsibility of family life. Many of these jobs are very demanding and statistics show that men work more overtime hours then women in similar positions. I believe this is due to the fact that most women have extra responsibilities outside. These responsibilities consume as much if not more time than the 9-5 job someone may work. I sympathize for these women. Great strides have been made in terms of reform, especially in regards to the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972. Legislation along with the EEOC of 1972 has broken down many barriers. These combined policies and jurisdiction are steps in the right direction, but progress is always welcomed.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Blog 13
The media version of the corrections officer according to Britton is that of a big, stern, powerful man. The media uses the image of power to combat power. The media portrays a MAN that would not hesitate to use violence towards prisoners if need be. However, women partake in these occupations despite the inaccurate position the media portrays. I used to watch a show called OZ on HBO that was essentially about prison life and all facets that go along with it. In this particular show there is a woman corrections officer. She is quite masculine physically strong looking and not very attractive. She never wears makeup and has her hair pulled back. This seems to be the normal media portrayal of women working within the correction system. I am sure that in reality female prison guards don’t fit any stereotypical norm. Reading other blogs confirm this thinking as well. The lesson I take from this is that the media’s portrayal of people is not always accurate. I look at news, movies, books, and other methods of media for information; however I do it with a cautious eye. The media’s opinions and portrayal of any and everything should always be looked at with skepticism. The inaccurate depiction of women within the correction’s workforce is a tragedy. Women do work these jobs, and can accomplish just as much success as any male counterpart can. It is definitely a harder task for women to succeed in these types of jobs given some of the physical demands that are required. However, this type of work is accomplished everyday by women across the world. Women are stereotyped and have many negative perceptions when it comes to working within the prison system. Most people see women as physically inferior to men, and too weak for the position. This is unfair and I have sympathy for women that work these types of jobs. It can’t be easy working a job in which your co-workers may not trust you, and prisoner’s look at you as inferior.
Blog #12
Occupational segregation is an unfortunate reality within today’s society. Occupational segregation is a problem which has occurred for hundreds if not thousands of years and consists of segregation based on race, sex, religion, age, and gender. The type of occupational segregation as it relates to this class pertains mainly to issues of sex. Laws are currently set in place by the EEOC, and though they help are not 100% foolproof. Segregation in relation to your sex exists despite these laws by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The facts are troubling. Women make about 30% less than men in similar positions despite education, training, and other qualifications. Social and institutional factors contribute to the problem as well. Our society begins molding the minds of the young from birth. We dress our boys in blue, and our girls in pink. We (society) tell our boys to be strong, while encouraging our girls to be sympathetic. Boy’s play football and girls partake in gymnastics. The list goes on and on. These small happenings all promote occupational segregation and make the problem worse. Society needs to break these methods of teaching in regards to sex starting at birth. I believe that legislation along with a new way of thinking will all contribute to diminishing the problems of occupational segregation. Despite our grim history and outlook small steps are being made in the right direction. Women, have made monumental steps within the working industry. Women that have broken into male dominated occupations have advantages. Financially most male dominated jobs pay substantially more than traditional women’s jobs, nearly 20-30 percent more! These non-traditional jobs obtained by women can lead them to financial stability and out of any destitute financial situation. I don’t believe males are affected negatively when women take on non-traditional jobs. I believe women entering into these types of jobs promote constructive competition. Competition makes for more productive employees and more productive employees make for a better work environment.
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