A comparison of perceptions of the work environment between minority and non-minority employees of the federal prison system

Abstract

Since 1970, the number of minority staff working in the prisons in the United States has almost doubled, so that by 1990 the distribution of minority employees has come to approximate the inmate population distribution. Surprisingly little is known about the experience of these employees in the workplace. Early accounts found that Blacks and other minorities were discriminated against and treated with disrespect. This study used results of the Prison Social Climate Survey, which is administered to a sample of all employees in the federal prison system, to determine whether Blacks and Hispanics experience the organization differently from non-minority employees. The present study found that Blacks and whites and Hispanics and non-Hispanics did not differ in their job satisfaction or their opinions about supervision. Both Blacks and Hispanics had a greater sense of personal efficacy in working with inmates, and Blacks reported less job-related stress. Alternative explanations for these results are discussed.