Mid Sweden University

This study refers to female correctional officers' experienced level of safety in correctional institutions for men, and also conditions and challenges that may affect the level of safety female correctional officers experience. A qualitative method with eight semi-structured interviews with female correctional officers were conducted to answer the purpose of the study. The interviews were analyzed with a thematic abductive approach. The lifestyle theory by Hindelang, Gofftfredson and Garofalofrom 1978 was used to analyze the empirical material from the interviews with the female correctional officers. The study result indicates that female correctional officers’ perception of safety was strongly associated with the amount of support they receive from coworkers and correctional officer supervisors. The actual amount of exposure to threat, violence and harassment was not found to be a dependent factor for the perceived amount of safety for female correctional officers. Crucial conditions for safety are the sense of community and thrust to co-workers and correctional officers upervisor. In order to increase the level of safety a better sense of community needs to be established and the female correctional officers need to feel that their correctional officer supervisor supports them when they experience victimization by inmates.