Corrections at Work : A Call for Institutional Accountability

TaLisa J. Carter

ISBN 10: 1479823163 / ISBN 13: 9781479823161

Published by New York University Press Dez 2025, 2025

About this Item

Neuware - How prisons as institutions are responsible for systemic problems in correctionsIn an era of mass incarceration, corrections face significant challenges, such as inmate mistreatment, poor confinement conditions, and unpreparedness for reentry. Solutions often focus on individual correctional officers removing 'rotten apples.' However, this approach overlooks the systemic issues within correctional institutions. In Corrections at Work, TaLisa J. Carter argues that while officers play a crucial role in maintaining order, institutions themselves must be held accountable for the behavior of their employees.Reframing the conversation around mass incarceration, Corrections at Work shifts focus from the individual failures of officers to the relationship between employee and organization, and places responsibility on the institutions accountable for the mistreatment of inmates. Carter lays bare the inner workings of correctional facilities and reveals the role of race and identity in shaping institutional responses to employee behavior. Drawing on both her personal experience as a former corrections officer and original research in a Mid-Atlantic correctional system, Carter proposes a new model to examine systems of praise and punishment of individual officers by institutions. Corrections at Work stresses the responsibility of criminal justice institutions in shaping employee behavior and makes clear connections between correctional facilities, officers, and inmate outcomes with significant insights for future practice, policy, and research.Ultimately, by shifting the focus from individual misconduct to institutional accountability, this book offers a unique perspective on reforms needed to address challenges in corrections.

Seller Inventory # 9781479823161

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Corrections at Work : A Call for Institutional Accountability
• Publisher: New York University Press Dez 2025
• Publication Date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1479823163
• ISBN 13: 9781479823161
• Binding: Buch
• Condition: Neu
• Dimensions: 210W x 136H x 25D millimeters 210 millimeters width by 136 millimeters height by 25 millimeters depth
• Weight: 438 grams

About this title

Synopsis

How prisons as institutions are responsible for systemic problems in corrections

In an era of mass incarceration, corrections face significant challenges, such as inmate mistreatment, poor confinement conditions, and unpreparedness for reentry. Solutions often focus on individual correctional officers―removing "rotten apples." However, this approach overlooks the systemic issues within correctional institutions. In Corrections at Work, TaLisa J. Carter argues that while officers play a crucial role in maintaining order, institutions themselves must be held accountable for the behavior of their employees.

Reframing the conversation around mass incarceration, Corrections at Work shifts focus from the individual failures of officers to the relationship between employee and organization, and places responsibility on the institutions accountable for the mistreatment of inmates. Carter lays bare the inner workings of correctional facilities and reveals the role of race and identity in shaping institutional responses to employee behavior. Drawing on both her personal experience as a former corrections officer and original research in a Mid-Atlantic correctional system, Carter proposes a new model to examine systems of praise and punishment of individual officers by institutions. Corrections at Work stresses the responsibility of criminal justice institutions in shaping employee behavior and makes clear connections between correctional facilities, officers, and inmate outcomes with significant insights for future practice, policy, and research.

Ultimately, by shifting the focus from individual misconduct to institutional accountability, this book offers a unique perspective on reforms needed to address challenges in corrections.

About the Author

TaLisa J. Carter is Associate Professor in the Department of Justice, Law & Criminology at American University.