Correctional Officers' Attitudes Toward Selected Treatment Programs

A study was designed to examine the attitudes of a sample of correctional officers toward selected treatment programs in the Texas Department of Corrections. Questionnaires were sent to a random probability sample of 347 correctional officers, and 235 (67.7%) were returned in useable form. A master scale consisting of 59 dichotomous items was constructed to measure attitudes toward treatment programs. The scale was subdivided into six subscales, each representing a specific treatment area. The findings revealed the following as being correlated with positive attitudes toward treatment: lower rank; higher level of education; having a source of supplemental income; retired from military service; regular chuch attendance; larger community of childhood residence; assignment to inside picket duty; oriented toward a career in the Texas Department of Corrections; and age (older officers were more positive). Factors found to be negatively correlated were: number of years of service; a belief that the primary function of corrections is punishment; and viewing work as more important in rehabilitation than treatment.