Corrections_Today_Winter_2025-2026_Vol.87_No.4

VIEW FROM THE LINE

VIEW FROM THE LINE

Transitioning from male to female correctional facilities Key differences and challenges By Marcus Fielden

Adobe Stock/tostphoto

W hen corrections officers move from managing male inmates to female inmates, they often face unexpected challenges. Although agency policy and procedures are typically the same, the way inmates interact, re spond to authority, and form social structures differ greatly between men’s and women’s facilities. Behavior and social structures in male and female facilities In male facilities, rigid hier archies are the norm. Strength, dominance, and gang affiliation often dictate respect. Conflicts tend to be settled with aggression, creating an

Emotional responses and mental health needs

environment where officers focus heavily on preventing violence and maintaining strict order. In contrast, female inmates build emotional bonds and form surro gate families. They assign roles like “mother,” “sister,” or “daughter,” creating tight-knit groups that offer comfort but can also lead to emo tionally charged conflicts. Disputes arise over betrayal, gossip, and personal slights, often escalating quickly. Officers must adapt by honing their conflict-resolution skills. While managing male in mates often involves breaking up physical fights, working with female inmates requires diffusing emo tional tensions.

Male inmates tend to suppress their emotions, internalizing stress and frustration. Physical con frontations are the most common outlet. This makes rule enforcement relatively straightforward where vio lations are met with consequences, which are generally accepted. Female inmates react more emo tionally to their surroundings. Many have histories of trauma, including domestic violence and abuse, which shapes their responses to authority and conflict. A strict, impersonal approach that may work with male inmates often backfires with female

Winter 2025-2026 | Corrections Today

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