Blog #16: Gendered Pathways

Bitton begins chapter 4, “Paths to Prison”, by stating that “occupational socialization is a thoroughly gendered process (Bitton, 2003, pg 78). The paths to prison are no different. The occupation of being a corrections officer is not very lucrative and it does not set high requirements for it employees. Employees only need to be 21 years of age (some states have lowered this age to 19), have a high school diploma or GED, and have no felony convictions. Due to the high turnover rate the prison systems are facing officer shortages nationwide (Bitton, 2003). According to Bitton, most people do not choose to be a corrections officer, they just end up there. Men tend to come from male dominated jobs, such as the military, whereas women come female dominated jobs. The majority of the women came from clerical jobs, sales positions, and child care services. No, the paths to prison are not the same for men and women. Social networks have helped women come into the field of correction officer. When these women meet other women who work in the field they get a sense of the job and the benefits that come with working in a state or federal facility. When you look at the prison facility itself it reinforces the gendered society. Over 50% of women work in women facilities, where only 6% of women work in male facilities (Bitton, 2003). The pay is not that great for a corrections officer. Especially, if you look at the hours they work and the type of work they are doing on a daily basis. Correction officers choose to work in the prison for many reasons. At the top of the list is that there are not any other opportunities available. As a correction officer they are entitled to benefits they otherwise would not be able to get. They also have the stability of regular paychecks. Most of the women are divorced mothers who had to support their children and do not have more than a high school diploma. The men said that they wanted the benefits: retirement, insurance, etc. Once they were in the job they just stayed.