Beyond Prison Officer Types: A Latent Profile Analysis

Abstract

Prison officer typologies provide a framework for understanding how staff approach their work. Yet, no quantitative studies examine these typologies. Using an online survey of Irish prison officers ( N = 573), a latent profile analysis was conducted to explore the existence of the following four different prison officer types identified in the literature: “Careerist” characterized by a strong motivation to achieve organizational goals and take on leadership roles; “Humanitarian” reflecting a commitment to treat people in detention humanely; “Disciplinarian” defined by a focus on maintaining order and control; and “Alienated” displaying a tendency to prioritize their paycheck while doing minimal work. Evidence for four classes was found, but the results challenge these previous single character-based typologies. Instead, the different multidimensional patterns of behavior observed may represent positions on a multidimensional continuum of prison officers’ adaptation to their work environment and their level of work engagement.