Blinded bars: race and social control among corrections employees

Parker, Karen F.Criminal justice scholarship has long recognized the pervasiveness of racial/ethnic disparities in the system. However, few have explored how criminal justice actor behavior contributes to systemic bias. Even fewer have examined how institutional responses to correctional employee behavior can perpetuate racial/ethnic disparities. A review of the criminal justice literature reveals that while racial/ethnic disparities are present across the criminal justice system, they are researched unequally. This is particularly true in terms of corrections scholarship, where the link between institutions, criminal justice actors and race is not well-developed. Additionally, literature points to three main challenges in exploring racial/ethnic disparities including issues with data access, inconsistencies in the way data are collected and variations in theoretical models applied. To overcome these challenges, this study proposes a single theoretical framework that considers race as central to the understanding of institutional outcomes. Additionally, this dissertation uses both qualitative and quantitative methodology to strengthen findings. ☐ This dissertation explores how racial/ethnic inequality is perpetuated within criminal justice organizations, specifically corrections, by developing and applying a theoretical framework using mixed methodology. Informed by Bonilla-Silva’s colorblind ideology and Black’s theory of law and social control, the institutional response model of social control prioritizes race and the role of criminal justice actors in contributing to unequal outcomes across the system. To test the model, I use qualitative and qualitative data in a Mid-Atlantic Department of Correction. Results show overall support for the institutional response model’s three key elements: visibility of behavior, institutional context and status of the actor. Each element influences the presence and level of institutional response a correctional employee receives, when controlling for other factors. Noteworthy, race surfaces as a central factor in determining how employees are sanctioned in both the quantitative and qualitative analysis. Quantitative analyses find employees who are Black are likely to receive more sanctions than their White counterparts, controlling for other factors. Qualitative analysis shows how narratives around institutional responses are racialized, perpetuating an institutional atmosphere that considers race when disciplining employees. Limitations, policy recommendations, and suggestions for future research are also discussed.University of Delaware, Department of Sociology and Criminal JusticePh.D