Chapter 9 The Staff World: Managing the Prison Population

Learning Objectives List the staff roles within the organizational hierarchy of correctional institutions Identify the types of power available to correctional officers, and list and describe the most common correctional officer personality types List and describe the seven correctional officer job assignments

Learning Objectives (continued) Identify five significant correctional staff issues Detail the nature of workplace corruption among correctional personnel, and explain its causes Explain the impact that terrorism is having on prisons and on the operation of correctional institutions today

Staff Hierarchy Roles: Normal patterns of behavior expected of those holding particular social positions Staff roles: Patterns of behavior expected of correctional staff members in particular jobs

Staff Hierarchy (continued) Operate the institution and its programs and set policies Administrative staff Clerical personnel Encourage prisoners to participate in educational, vocational, and treatment programs Program staff Most directly involved in managing the inmate population Custodial staff Service and maintenance staff Volunteers

Goals of Correctional Staff Members Provide for the security of the community Promote the smooth and effective functioning of the institution Ensure that incarceration is secure but humane Give inmates the opportunity to gain skills required to develop a positive lifestyle

Correctional Officers’ Power Bases Legitimate power Derived by the virtue of position in the organization Coercive power Based on the inmates’ belief that COs can and will punish disobedience Reward power COs’ ability to dispense both formal and informal rewards

Correctional Officers’ Power Bases (continued) Gain time: Time taken off an inmate’s sentence for participating in certain activities Expert power Based on inmates’ perception that certain COs have valuable skills Referent power Based on the inmates’ respect for a fair and non-abusive CO

Staff Subculture Beliefs, values, and behavior of staff Greatly differs from inmate subculture Structured conflict: Tensions between prison staff members and inmates that arise out of the correctional setting Subculture: Beliefs, values, behavior, and material objects shared by a particular group of people within a larger society

The Officer Code Always go to the aid of an officer in distress Do not lug drugs Do not rat on other officers Never make a fellow officer look bad in front of inmates Always support an officer in a dispute with an inmate Always support officer sanctions against inmates Do not be a white hat or a goody two-shoes Maintain officer solidarity in dealings with all outside groups Show positive concern for fellow officers

Exhibit 9.2 - Correctional Officer Pay in 2016, by Selected Jurisdictions

Exhibit 9.3 - Profile of Custodial and Administrative Correctional Personnel in Federal Bureau of Prisons Facilities, 2016

Correctional Officer Personalities Distinctive personal characteristics of correctional officers, including behavioral, emotional, and social traits The dictator Enjoys giving orders and the feeling of power derived from doing so The friend Tries to befriend inmates who, in turn, try to gain special treatment

Correctional Officer Personalities (continued 1) The merchant Provides commodities to inmates, often in violation of institutional rules The turnkey Unmotivated and bored does little beyond the basic job requirements The do-gooder Reformer who is motivated by a personal agenda such as religious proselytizing

Correctional Officer Personalities (continued 2) The climber Diligent worker who respects the corrections profession and is focused on rapid professional advancement The reformer Know-it-all who constantly complains and endlessly criticizes institutional policies, procedures, and rules

Correctional Officer Job Assignments Supervise inmates in housing areas Block officers Oversee the work of individual inmates and inmate work crews Work detail supervisors Ensure efficient use of training and educational resources within the prison Industrial shop and school officer Supervise inmates in the prison yard Yard officers

Correctional Officer Job Assignments (continued) Control keys and weapons and may oversee visitation Administrative officers Assigned security tower, wall, and perimeter patrol posts to prevent escapes and intrusions Perimeter security officers Temporarily replace absent officers or fill staffing vacancies Experienced COs who know and can perform any custody role in the institution Relief officers

Gender and Staffing Women use a less aggressive work style than men Use communication rather than threats or force to gain inmate cooperation Rely more heavily on established disciplinary rules when problems arise Female officers were assaulted only about one-fourth as often as male officers

Gender and Staffing (continued) Most male staff members are pro-woman Some express concerns about women’s ability to provide adequate backup in a crisis Sexual harassment is a major issue Fair amount of harassment is tolerated in the correctional officer subculture

Stress Tension in a person’s body or mind, resulting from physical, chemical, or emotional factors COs frequently deny being under stress Fear that admitting to feelings of stress might be interpreted unfavorably Resort to medication or alcohol

Factors That Create Stress Feelings of powerlessness Feelings of meaninglessness Social isolation Self-estrangement

Exhibit 9.6 - Major Sources of Correctional Officer Stress

Techniques for Avoiding or Reducing Job Stress Communicating openly but avoiding resentment, gossip, and complaining Learning to feel confident in one’s skills, values, beliefs, and oneself Developing a support system Being a conscientious worker but not a workaholic Learning to manage one’s time and avoid procrastinating Watching one’s diet and getting sufficient sleep Exercising regularly and learning some relaxation exercises Spending time cultivating self-understanding, setting goals, and making plans

Staff Safety Major stressor for COs Primary management concern for correctional administrators Can be improved through: Safety programs tailored to the needs of correctional officers Comprehensive planning and effective training

Job Satisfaction in Correctional Officers Reasons for low satisfaction High levels of stress Feeling alienated from policymaking Perception that their profession suffers a generally poor public image Media portrayals of COs Determinants of job satisfaction Working conditions Level of work-related stress Quality of working relationships with fellow officers Length of service

Professionalism Commitment to agreed-upon values for: Improving the organization Maintaining the highest standards of excellence and dissemination of knowledge Professionals must present humanistic qualities Selflessness, responsibility, accountability, Leadership, excellence, integrity, honesty, empathy, and respect for all

Professionalism (continued) Elements of correctional professionalism that need to be established Purpose: Reason for an organization’s existence Mission: That which is done to support an organization’s purpose Vision: Planned future direction of an organization

Officer Corruption Smuggling phones to prisoners Misusing of confidential information Drinking and abusing drugs while on duty Sleeping on duty Unnecessary roughness or brutality against inmates Racism Filing false disciplinary reports on inmates

Impact of Terrorism on Corrections Inmates may be more vulnerable to recruitment by terrorist organizations: As a result of their marginal social status If they have no contact with their families and are angry and embittered

Anti-Terrorism Planning Administrators and corrections personnel must be vigilant against the threat of terrorism Interaction with inmates provides information

Anti-Terrorism Planning (continued) Interaction with inmates provides information Flow of information between inmates and the outside world should be monitored