Work

Beyond Prison Officer Types: A Latent Profile Analysis

Year: 2026

Type: article

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.

Source: Criminal Justice and Behavior

DOI: 10.1177/00938548261492608

Authors: Sinéad Meade, Michelle Butler, Andrew Percy

Institutions: Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Queen's University Belfast

Language: English

Topic: Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior

Subfield: Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,650