Table Of ContentAN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF
Tasha Randall Galardi for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Human Development and Family
Studies presented on May 17, 2017.
Title: Gender Matters: The Perspectives and Experiences of Living Unit Staff in Juvenile
Correctional Facilities.
Abstract approved:
______________________________________________________
Richard A. Settersten, Jr.
Front line staff members in youth correctional facilities are generally the primary adults in the
lives of incarcerated young people. In many ways, they serve as surrogate parents who may
promote positive development while holding delinquent youth accountable for their actions.
They accomplish these often conflicting goals through the provision of round-the-clock care and
the facilitation of therapeutic treatment groups within the secure environment of the institution.
Research indicates that correctional staff members not only shape the day-to-day lives of
confined youth but they also affect both the incarceration experience and treatment outcomes.
Consequently, front line staff play a crucial role in the implementation of juvenile justice policies
and are largely responsible for the youth authority’s rehabilitation efforts. In fact, the
relationships between front line staff and youth are often considered to be the foundation of
juvenile justice treatment programming. As primary socializing agents in the lives of
incarcerated youth, living unit staff have the potential to shape not only how young people feel
about themselves but also what they expect for their future lives. This occurs through daily
interactions between staff and youth as well as staff role modeling. However, there is limited
research that examines the perspectives of youth correctional staff members about the
incarcerated young people they supervise or how they attempt to accomplish treatment goals.
Although the early juvenile justice system was focused on rehabilitation rather than punishment,
the lack of research showing those policies to be effective and an increase in youth crime caused
the philosophical pendulum to swing in the opposite direction. An era of “get tough on crime”
followed, which included more punitive juvenile justice policies and less focus on the
reformation of delinquent young people. Subsequent scientific research about adolescent
development and the ineffectiveness of more punitive approaches have returned the focus to
rehabilitative treatment programming for incarcerated youth. One such approach is based on the
Positive Youth Development (PYD) framework, which argues that all young people are
resources which can developed if given the proper resources. A key component of PYD is the
importance of positive, supportive relationships to help youth embrace prosocial beliefs and
adopt prosocial behavior. There has also been a recent push for gender-responsive treatment
programming in the juvenile justice system that considers the different risk experiences,
pathways to crime, and developmental needs of boys and girls. Since front line staff are
responsible for the daily care and rehabilitation of incarcerated youth, it is pivotal to understand
their viewpoints on the boys and girls they supervise and the role of correctional staff in helping
young people meet treatment goals. In a total insitution such as a youth correctional facility,
where young people are segregated by gender and have little contact with individuals outside the
institution, the views of staff about the gendered attributes of the youth they supervise is an
important component of how they might shape the gender identities and beliefs of both boys and
girls. Furthermore, examining the ways that correctional staff attempt to rehabilitate the youth in
their care and promote positive outcomes can be an important tool for assessing the role of staff
in helping achieve the goals of the juvenile justice system. This is especially true when a gender-
responsive strategy is employed and staff members are charged with meeting the unique
treatment needs of both boys and girls. Through the qualitative analysis of interview data, this
study found that front line staff do characterize boys and girls in very different ways, with a
significant negative bias against girls. In terms of relationships with staff, which includes the
components of communication, engagement, and conflict, as well as conflict with peers, boys
and girls were described in nearly polar opposite ways. These differences were reflected in the
ways living unit staff described what youth need from them while incarcerated. While staff
suggested that both boys and girls need many of the same things, such as care and compassion,
structure, and role modeling, there were some gendered differences such as an emphasis on
building relationships with girls and building character in boys. The perspectives of those who
have first-hand experience working with incarcerated youth and are primarily responsible for
treatment programming provide valuable information about the implementation of the juvenile
justice system’s rehabilitation efforts, especially in an era of gender-responsive programming
and PYD. The findings from this study provide insight into the ways that living unit staff
conceptualize and interact with incarcerated young people, with an eye toward gendered
differences, and should inform juvenile justice policy decisions about the rehabilitation of
delinquent youth.
©Copyright by Tasha Randall Galardi
May 17, 2017
All Rights Reserved
Gender Matters: The Perspectives and Experiences of Living Unit Staff in Juvenile Correctional
Facilities
by
Tasha Randall Galardi
A DISSERTATION
submitted to
Oregon State University
in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the
degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
Presented May 17, 2017
Commencement June 2017
Doctor of Philosophy dissertation of Tasha Randall Galardi presented on May 17, 2017
APPROVED:
Major Professor, representing Human Development and Family Sciences
Co-Director of the School of Social and Behavioral Health Sciences
Dean of the Graduate School
I understand that my dissertation will become part of the permanent collection of Oregon State
University libraries. My signature below authorizes release of my dissertation to any reader
upon request.
Tasha Randall Galardi, Author
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This dissertation would not have been completed if not for the unwavering support of many
kindhearted, and patient, individuals. First, I want to express my sincere appreciation to my
committee members. I have been truly blessed to have such an incredibly generous and agreeable
committee. All of them have provided guidance throughout the dissertation process and as a
group they have always supported my vision for this project. Most importantly, they believed in
me even when I did not believe in myself and for that I am especially grateful. Extra thanks go to
Rick and Leslie, for going above and beyond the call of duty as an advisor and committee
member. Their willingness to see me as a mother first, and student second, has given me the
space I needed to experience life outside of academia while also making progress on my
dissertation. They provided the kind of emotional support one receives from true friends, which
will never be forgotten. There truly are no words to adequately express my gratitude to you both.
Second, I must acknowledge the family and friends who have stood by me throughout the
arduous process of completing graduate school. My husband and children have endured my
unavailability during long hours of writing, with very little complaint. They encouraged me
when I wanted to give up and expressed enthusiasm for my work when I could not find it within
myself. At the end of the day, they kept me going when nothing else could have. I am incredibly
fortunate to not only have a loving family, but also the most wonderful friends. They have
matched my family’s steadfast support, through pain and joy, and always believed this process
would eventually come to a successful end. I cannot count the ways they have been there for me
throughout the past 7 years.
Ultimately, every single person who has been involved in my life during the course of my
graduate school career has shaped the experience in immeasurable ways. The person I have
become is directly due to the people in my life, whether near or far. As Rick says in my favorite
of his articles, the story of “me” is really a story of “we.” I am honored and grateful that all of
you have been a part of my journey.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Chapter 1: Introduction...………………………………………………………………… 1
Chapter 2: Study 1.……………………………………………………………………….. 38
Chapter 3: Study 2………………………………………………………………………… 87
Chapter 4: Conclusion……………………………………………………………………. 140
References…………………………………………………………………………………167
Tables ………………………………………………………………..................................184
Appendix... ………………………………………….…………………………………… 188
LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
1 Primary facility descriptions ……………………………………………. 184
2 Sampling frequencies from each facility ………………………………… 186
3 Sample demographic characteristics …………………………………….. 187
