Date of Conferral
2020
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Criminal Justice
Advisor
Michael Klemp-North
Abstract
Occupational deviance in the form of cellphone contraband introduction poses a serious threat to the safe and secure operations of correctional facilities across the United States. More importantly, security staff members who participate in this form of unethical and illegal behavior undermine and impair both staff-inmate relationships as well as collegial relationships among officers. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of correctional officers who have experienced contraband introduction by fellow correctional officers and to understand the overall impact within the correctional environment. Based on ethical climate theory, this qualitative phenomenological study sought to describe the contributions of social factors as well as organizational policy practices regarding cellphone contraband introduction by correctional officers. Through phenomenological data analysis, findings indicated that correctional officers were more likely to ascribe universal responsibility to both the organization and officer violators and to believe that contradictions within the organizational climate inadvertently reinforced cellphone contraband introduction among fellow officers. Recommendations included alternative interview options, expanding the geographical search area for sampling, exploring factors within the organization that could impact the organizational climate, and comparing climate-related acts of deviance in other correctional settings. The data provided in this study adds additional insight for correctional administrators into the necessity of a multifaceted approach to addressing officer-involved cellphone contraband introduction.
Recommended Citation
Taylor-McCune, Kamaria, "Correctional Officers' Perspectives on Cellphone Contraband Introduction by Fellow Officers" (2020). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 8997.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/8997
