Correctional Service Canada
www.csc-scc.gc.ca
Common menu bar links
FORUM on Corrections Research
Survey of Correctional Administrators... Diversity of Qualifications and Background
|
A survey was recently conducted by the North American Association of Wardens and Superintendents and the
Department of Correctional Services at Eastern Kentucky University to identify the professional
characteristics of the chief administrators of adult correctional institutions in the United States and
Canada. The survey also attempted to identify the training needs of correctional administrators in the
two countries. The study surveyed 418 administrators of which 36 were women. Canadian administrators
represented 8% of the total respondents. The information compiled from the survey described wardens and superintendents as generally quite well-educated. Eighty-five percent had earned university degrees, with 44% having completed a Master's degree. The typical correctional institution administrator was caucasian (87.6% ), while 7% were black, 1.7% Hispanic, 1.5% American Indian, 0.5% oriental, and 1.7% other. Administrators were 45 years old on average, with the youngest being 27 years old and the oldest 71 years of age. The average reported salary in American currency was $42,000 for the male and $38,500 for the female administrators. As would expected, the salaries increased with the length of service. The administrators had served an average of five years in their present positions and an average of 17 years in the field of corrections. Human resource development, budget planning as well as legal issues and constitutional law liability were the most frequent training needs reported. Most administrators first entered the correctional field in custodial positions (54%), while the remainder were recruited for treatment and program positions (46%). Casework was the most frequently reported first job. Generally, the professionals who were first employed in a program/treatment position had somewhat higher levels of education than those who moved from custodial assignments. The majority of female administrators had advanced degrees and were somewhat younger than the average in the survey. Seventy-five percent of the female administrators were in charge of female correctional facilities. One finding of particular interest was the noticeable change in entry trends over the years. For those administrators who entered the corrections field before 1950, the majority (65%) entered in custody roles, while the remainder (35%) began in program/treatment positions. In the 1960's and 1970's, 49% had started in custody positions and 51 % percent in program roles. However, for those administrators who entered in the 1980's, 66% had entered in custodial roles compared with 34% who entered in program oriented positions. One wonders if the recruitment of a larger proportion of individuals from the program treatment positions during the 1960's and 1970's reflected a greater emphasis on rehabilitation. The climate in corrections during these years was very favourable to the introduction of offender programming and administrators with program experience may have been preferred. Alternatively, there may have been more candidates with treatment experience to compete for positions. In more recent years, the "get tough" correctional policies that have emerged in some jurisdictions may account for the decline in the number of new administrators with treatment experience. Although there is a clear variety of career experience among correctional administrators, there is also clear evidence that this is a group of highly skilled and professional men and women. Wolford, B.I. (1988). Wardens and Superintendents. . . A Diverse Group. Corrections Compendium, XIII, 2, 5-7. |
