THIS INTENSIVE STUDY INTERVIEWED 304 BLACK CUSTODIAL OFFICERS, 117 OTHER BLACK CORRECTIONAL PERSONNEL, 128 BLACK INMATES, 52 WARDENS, SUPERINTENDENTS, AND ASSISTANTS, AND 35 EX-CORRECTIONAL EMPLOYEES TO DEVELOP A PROFILE OF THE BLACK CORRECTIONAL WORKER, IDENTIFY PROBLEMS FACED BY THESE WORKERS, AND SUGGEST PROCEDURES AND TECHNIQUES FOR RECRUITING AND RETAINING BLACK CORRECTIONAL EMPLOYEES. NONCORRECTIONAL EMPLOYEES GENERALLY HAD A COLLEGE DEGREE AND A MEDIAN INCOME OF $14,000 TO $17,000. THE CUSTODIAL WORKERS MOSTLY HAD HIGH-SCHOOL EDUCATIONS, 13 PERCENT HAD HIGHER EDUCATION OF SOME TYPE, AND MEDIAN INCOME WAS $8,000 TO $11,000. THE EX-EMPLOYEES HAD MEDIAN INCOMES OF ABOUT $5,000, WHICH MEANS THEY WERE WORSE OFF THAN THEY WERE WHILE WORKING IN CORRECTIONS, BUT THEY HAD NO INTENTION OF REAPPLYING. DESPITE THESE DIFFERENCES IN INCOME AND EDUCATION, THE BLACK EMPLOYEES REPORTED THE SAME PROBLEMS -- WHILE WHITE WORKERS WERE GENERALLY FRIENDLY AND COOPERATIVE, ADMINISTRATORS SEEMED MORE INTERESTED IN THE ADVANCEMENT OF WHITES THAN BLACKS, EVALUATIONS WERE SEEN AS MORE FAVORABLE TO WHITES THAN BLACKS, AND THERE SEEMED TO BE LITTLE HOPE OF JOB IMPROVEMENT. THE CUSTODIAL PERSONNEL EXPRESSED HIGH DEGREES OF DISSATISFACTION WITH SHIFTS AND WORKING HOURS, THE NONCUSTODIAL WITH VARIETY IN JOB ASSIGNMENTS AND CHANCES FOR INCREASED PAY. INMATES WERE INTERVIEWED FOR THEIR PERSPECTIVE ON THE SITUATION. MOST FELT THAT ADMINISTRATORS FAVORED WHITE EMPLOYEES. INMATES ALSO FELT THAT THERE SHOULD BE AN ETHNIC MIX OF CUSTODIAL PERSONNEL. BLACK INMATES ALSO REPORTED THEY FELT BLACK PERSONNEL HAD A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR PROBLEMS AND DID A BETTER JOB OF PREPARING THEM FOR REENTRY INTO SOCIETY. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT MORE BLACKS BE RECRUITED FOR TRAINING LEADING TO SUPERVISORY POSITIONS, THAT BLACKS BE ACTIVELY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY FOR JOB OPENINGS, ACTIVELY CONSULTED ABOUT SHIFT CHANGES, AND URGED TO TALK TO CAREER COUNSELING STAFF. IT IS ALSO POINTED OUT THAT TRANSPORTATION IS A PROBLEM FOR BLACKS AND THIS SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WHEN NEW FACILITIES ARE LOCATED. ORAL TESTS SHOULD BE DROPPED FOR BOTH EMPLOYMENT AND PROMOTION AND IMPERSONAL WRITTEN TESTS OR MULTIPLE CHOICE TESTS USED INSTEAD. IT IS ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THE SHIFT HOURS BE IMPROVED AND SALARIES RAISED TO ENCOURAGE COMPETENT PERSONS OF ALL BACKGROUNDS TO SEEK CORRECTIONS WORK.