Date of Conferral
11-20-2025
Date of Award
November 2025
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Criminal Justice
Advisor
Donal Hardin
Abstract
The correctional population in the United States remains high despite the implementation of various measures to reduce crime and recidivism. The primary goal of correctional establishments is to reduce recidivism and crime through effective rehabilitation programs. The role of the correctional officer is crucial in the rehabilitation process because they are the heartbeat of a prison. However, low staffing levels have a negative impact on the role of corrections officers. There is a gap in the relevant literature on the low staffing levels of African American correctional officers. This qualitative research, through the phenomenological approach, focused on the correctional culture and organizational barriers of a large midwestern correctional system to shed light on the underrepresentation of African Americans as correctional officers. The theoretical framework of behavioral theory was used to ground this study. Data from semi structured interviews with nine participants, along with qualitative data analysis, were used to identify codes, categories, and themes. Distrust of the criminal justice system by part of the African American population is one of the reasons why African Americans don’t want to work as corrections officers. The findings may lead to positive social change by initiating valuable contributions that can improve the hiring, training, and retention processes of African American officers in the large midwestern correctional system and, by extension, the overall staffing situation.
Recommended Citation
Eyong, Julius Oben, "The Underrepresentation of African American Officers in a Large Midwestern Correctional System" (2025). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 18784.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/18784
