Running Head: CORUPTION IN CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM CORUPTION IN CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM 6 Corruption in Correctional System AIU Online Amanda Green Our correctional system in the United States of America has been under critical public scrutiny. Reports from commissions and individuals indicate that the reality in these centers has been changing and administrators of these centers are working day and night towards making these institutions the best so as to meet their objectives. As a matter of fact, our correctional centers are increasingly changing because of the ongoing environmental changes and other changes such as program issues, overcrowding, security issues, personnel management, legal issues, technological changes, privatization, and budgetary concerns among others. This essay will examine corruption among administrators and security personnel in the correctional centers within the United States of America. Correctional systems have been designed in such a way that they handle and punish offenders or those individuals who break laws in different ways. Some of these systems are community based whereby an individual who has committed a certain crime is put into a confinement and he/she is made to provide community service as he/she undergoes reformation. In other centers, individuals or offenders of different crimes are fined and if the individual will not be able to raise enough funds to pay for his/her fine then such an individual is put under confinement where he/she will serve a jail term depending on the type of crime he/she had committed. Offenders of different criminal activities are always placed under half way houses where they serve as under probation before being shipped to the prison (Abadinsky, 2014).  More often than not, the U.S Department of Correction in collaboration with the Federal government, State government and with the Local government have been providing resources and facilities to the different correctional centers that have been established in the United States of America. In addition to this, the department provides guidance and counseling as well as educational programs to these individuals as part of the reformation process. Reports indicate that, corrupt practices occurring behind correctional systems in the United States of America has reached to the general public. These practices range from pilferage and theft to drug trafficking involving the inmates, the administrators and the police force in these centers. To this effect, corruption in the correctional systems has been seen as the weakening of the established correctional practices and the established ethics which are acting as the guiding principles. Professionals have identified three types of corruption in the correctional system within the United States of America. Theft as corrupt practice in the correctional systems occurs when reports of items belonging to the staff members as well as those belonging to the inmates are ...

1. Running Head: CORUPTION IN CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM
CORUPTION IN CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM 6
Corruption in Correctional System
AIU Online
Amanda Green
Our correctional system in the United States of America
has been under critical public scrutiny. Reports from
commissions and individuals indicate that the reality in these
centers has been changing and administrators of these centers
are working day and night towards making these institutions the
best so as to meet their objectives. As a matter of fact, our
correctional centers are increasingly changing because of the
ongoing environmental changes and other changes such as
program issues, overcrowding, security issues, personnel
management, legal issues, technological changes, privatization,
and budgetary concerns among others. This essay will examine
corruption among administrators and security personnel in the
correctional centers within the United States of America.
Correctional systems have been designed in such a way
that they handle and punish offenders or those individuals who
break laws in different ways. Some of these systems are
community based whereby an individual who has committed a
certain crime is put into a confinement and he/she is made to
provide community service as he/she undergoes reformation. In
other centers, individuals or offenders of different crimes are

2. fined and if the individual will not be able to raise enough funds
to pay for his/her fine then such an individual is put under
confinement where he/she will serve a jail term depending on
the type of crime he/she had committed. Offenders of different
criminal activities are always placed under half way houses
where they serve as under probation before being shipped to the
prison (Abadinsky, 2014).
More often than not, the U.S Department of Correction in
collaboration with the Federal government, State government
and with the Local government have been providing resources
and facilities to the different correctional centers that have been
established in the United States of America. In addition to this,
the department provides guidance and counseling as well as
educational programs to these individuals as part of the
reformation process.
Reports indicate that, corrupt practices occurring behind
correctional systems in the United States of America has
reached to the general public. These practices range from
pilferage and theft to drug trafficking involving the inmates, the
administrators and the police force in these centers. To this
effect, corruption in the correctional systems has been seen as
the weakening of the established correctional practices and the
established ethics which are acting as the guiding principles.
Professionals have identified three types of corruption in the
correctional system within the United States of America. Theft
as corrupt practice in the correctional systems occurs when
reports of items belonging to the staff members as well as those
belonging to the inmates are stolen by unknown people. In
other instances, security personnel and other members of staff
in these centers conspire with the inmates and the civilians and
they smuggle contrabands such as money or drugs into the
center and vice versa.
In addition to this, police officers and staff members in
correctional centers are engaging themselves in intentional
misuse of property or discretion for personal gain. Under this
form of corruption police officers accept rewards or gratuities

3. from inmates and in response they give them special
consideration when it comes to provision of normal privileges
in these centers. In addition to this, police officers accept
gratitude from inmates and family members and in response
they protect prisoners who are involved in illicit activities such
as gambling in prison. Apart from this, other reports indicate
that police officers in these institutions mistreat and extort
inmates. Mistreatment of inmates by police officers has been
the main cause of death among these inmates and family
members and the society at large have criticized the government
and the responsible authorities from their failure to take
immediate action against police officers and staff members in
these institutions who are solely responsible for corrupt
activities (Pollock, 2012).
Recommendation on how corrupt among police and correctional
systems can be reduced
It is quite evident that preventing corrupting among the
police officers as well as in the correctional centers is a tall
order. As a matter of fact, there is need for all members of the
society, police department, and staff members in these
correctional centers to be involved in the fight against this
activity. I recommend the implementation of the following.
· There is need for the hiring of police officers who are of good
character. The police officers and staff members working in the
corrective systems should be of good character so as to avoid
getting involved in corruption.
· Stricter screening methods should be put in place in the
corrective systems and centers. Through these screening police
officers and staff members involved in corruption will be
caught.
· Police officers and staff members in the corrective centers
should be provided with enough incentives. A of the main cause
of corruption among police officers and staff members in the
corrective centers is poor salaries, thus the community and the
government should provide incentives to these individuals.

4. · There is need for the promotion of ethics among the police
officers and the staff in the corrective centers. Training program
should be introduced whereby these individuals undergo
training to equip them with adequate skills and knowledge on
how they will avoid corruption.
Outline of the final paper
1. Abstract
2. Introduction
3. Causes of corruption among police officers
4 Effects of corruption in the police department and in the
correctional centers
5. Recommendations
6. Conclusion
7. References
References
Abadinsky, H. (2014). Drug use and abuse: A comprehensive
introduction.
Pollock, J. M. (2012). Ethical dilemmas and decisions in
criminal justice. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage
Learning
Running Head: DIFFERENTIAL AND INEQUITABLE
TREATMENT
Running Head: DIFFERENTIAL AND INEQUITABLE
TREATMENT 2
Differential and Inequitable Treatment
AIU Online
Amanda Green
Group Project

5. The main pillar of democracy across the globe and in the United
States of America to be specific is seen when lawbreakers
regardless of gender, race or ethnicity are apprehended and
punished without any favoritism. As a matter of fact, for this
system of justice to remain viable and effective then, the
general public should be satisfied with every stage from the
time the investigation over the crime at hand is conducted by
the police officers or by the individuals who are responsible up
to the time when the jury gives their final verdict. Indeed the
rule of law demands that all individuals are treated alike
regardless of race, gender, and ethnicity because the
constitution of the United States of America guarantees all
citizens equal treatment (Barak et.al, 2007).
As opposed to the ideal system as per the constitution, our
present day criminal justice system is totally astray and it is
characterized by differential and inequitable between different
races and ethnic groups especially in the policing courts and
corrections. Unequal treatment different minorities between
different minorities at each stage for example, the blacks,
Hispanic Americans, and other minority groups are victimized
by the other police and other officials in the front line of the
law enforcement. In addition to this, the prosecutors engage in
discriminatory sentencing practices and in addition to this
judges and other criminal officials have totally failed to address
racial and ethnic inequalities in the entire criminal system in the
United States of America.
For obvious differential and the unequal treatment encountered
by different racial and ethnic groups in the policing courts and
corrections has affected both the guilty minority and innocent
citizens and it is manifested in the mushrooming prison
population who are overwhelmingly the black and the Hispanic
Americans. It is quite evident that there is a widely held belief
that the blacks and the Hispanic Americans engage in criminal
activities as opposed to the minority white population.
It is quite evident that, our society has changed totally and there

6. are a number of contemporary issues in cultural diversity, crime
and the administration of justice. In terms of cultural diversity,
the issue of gender, race, and class in matters of criminal
activities and administration of justice has taken a new course
and different inquiries are interested in these variables because
our society is an amalgam of different races and ethnic groups.
In addition to this, the entire world has been revolutionized by
technology and criminals have devised new ways of engaging in
criminal activities and this has forced the administrators of
justice to come up with new ways of handling or administering
justice in the United States of America for example, they make
use of video conferencing.
The history of race, ethnicity, and social class in the United
States of America Criminal justice system has been about the
imagined differences between non-criminals and criminals in
the society. For quite a very long period of time, the white race
has been treated different as compared to other races and
ethnicity and this practiced has continued up to date. An
examination on the criminal system shows that the blacks and
the Hispanic Americans are overrepresented in most of the
prisons as compared to the population of the white. Most of the
individuals have been having the notion that the blacks and the
Hispanic Americans engage themselves in the criminal activities
(Anderson. Et.al, 2007).
A theoretical perspective has been used by professionals to
explain cultural diversity and criminal justice. Some of the
theoretical perspectives includes: post-Marxism, post-feminism,
and post-affirmative actions among others. These theoretical
perspectives explain gender, race, and class among other
variables which are thought to be the main causes of criminal
activities. Criminal studies shows that, the above mentioned
theoretical perspectives are rich in information that is used to
explain the differences in the percentage of criminal activities
between different cultures as well as the application of different
justice by the responsible authorities.

7. References
Anderson, J. F., Dyson, L., Langsam, A., & Brooks, W. J.
(2007). Criminal justice and criminology: Terms, concepts,
and cases. Lanham, Md: University Press of America.
Barak, G., Leighton, P., & Flavin, J. (2007). Class, race,
gender, and crime: The social realities of justice in
America. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Running head: THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM 1
POLICE CORRUPTION 7
Police Corruption
American Intercontinental University Online
Gianna R. Long
Unit 4 Group Project – Individual Portion
CRJS 410, Section 01
December 4, 2014
Running head: POLICE CORRUPTION 1
LOSS PREVENTION POLICIES 2
Introduction
In the criminal justice system, internal issues of police brutality
can surface when there is neglect or improper management from
supervisors in law enforcement. Police brutality is defined as
individuals suffering from "acts of unjustified cruelty" at the
hand of police officers ("Police Brutality," 2002, para. 1). This
analysis is a description of the administered abused by police
toward suspected gang-affiliates. Complaints against the law
enforcement agency in question will be taken into account when
considering the probable methods used to address the issue of
police brutality.

8. Corrupt Practices
One of the priority concerns is the factor of physical
abuse. It has been claimed by citizens and inmates that the
entire police unit is administering physical punishment,
specifically toward teenagers that are suspected of having
connections with certain gangs in the area. The key in this
instance is to target supervisors and those in management
positions in order to thwart the abuse. When the highest level of
supervision becomes corrupt, it is easy for that system to allow
abuse. Prevention is the best form of management.
An overwhelming 90% of inmates had come forward to
declare that they had been brutally beaten by administration.
The United Nations Code of Conduct for Law-Enforcement
Officials proclaims that use of force is only lawful when it is
"strictly necessary," as explained in Article 3 of the document
(Ochs & Gonzalzles, 2014, Significance section, para. 2).
Individuals who confront officers in dangerous situations, i.e.,
suspects who draw firearms or weapons at police in order to
resist arrest, are rightfully subdued under restriction of the law.
This means using what is known as necessary force. However,
the inmates and citizens interviewed in the case against corrupt
law enforcement have confessed to unlawful force and
punishment used.
The basic principles of the Code of Conduct state that
force should only be administered if the situation allows for it
to be "unavoidable" (Ochs & Gonzalzles, 2014, Significance
section, para. 2). The abused inmates in this particular scenario
had admitted to being beaten for "walking funny," which is
most definitely not an offense at all under U.S. jurisdiction, and
is especially not something that should be punishable in such a
brutal way. The terms "reasonable" and "necessary" are
important when determining the appropriate level of punishment
for inmates who do not maintain order within prison (Gabbidon
& Taylor, 2013, p. 103). Witness testimonies would reveal that
no true crime has been committed on behalf of the inmates in
question.

9. Evidence
Certain pieces of evidence have been submitted for further
inspection. For instance, photograph evidence of police brutally
attacking teenagers in the streets, all for the purpose of
unnecessary suspicion that the teens were involved in gang
activity. Citizens had provided the photographs, as well as
audio evidence that included a statement from a police officer
that said the attacks on teenagers were justified in order to
"make an example of them." In this statement, the police have
clearly taken their boundaries above the limit and the extent of
criminal law. Inmates had also reported abuse after not
following a strict "30-second meal" rule.
The following list will explain the proper protocol for
what should occur next:
· According to Ochs & Gonzalzles (2014, Background section,
para. 4), law enforcement institutions should attempt to have
responsible relationships with both the public and inmates, due
to the importance of establishing balance and abiding by the
law.
· The main objective is to keep peace, and peace is not achieved
by abusing power. Branches of government contain a specific
amount of "law and order."
· Law enforcement must retain responsibility by upholding a
respectful reputation, and must have a reputation that pertains
toward the protection of all society (Ochs & Gonzalzles, 2014,
Prevalence section, para. 6).
· Protect society through the prevention of unlawful force,
because unlawful acts create a rift between police and citizens.
· U.S. Constitution should provide the guidelines for police to
administer proper reinforcement. The 8th Amendment of the
Constitution limits the amount of abuse made by the criminal
justice system, which includes the method of punishments
administered to inmates, as well as unusual and cruel
punishments (Levy, 2014, para. 1).
· Police officers who abuse power should be reprimanded for

10. their behavior. The U.S. Constitution defines "excessive" force,
which is discussed in the Due Process laws that should protect
inmates from being abused and citizens from being
unnecessarily stopped and frisked (Levy, 2014, para. 3).
· Loss of property and fines should result in obvious instances
of abuse. Criminal justice professionals should receive
maximum penalty of the law if they violate rules stated by the
Constitution.
· The seriousness of attacks against citizens and inmates should
be taken into consideration when determining the proper
punishment from law enforcement, who abuse power. Such
factors include "reasonableness and proportionally" in terms of
criminal infraction (Levy, 2014, para. 3). References
Gabbidon, S. L. & Taylor, H. G. (2013). Race and crime (3rd.
ed.).Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. Retrieved
from
http://www.coursesmart.com/SR/4774745/9781452202600/i?__h
dv=6.8
Levy, M. (2014). Eighth Amendment. Encyclopædia Britannica,.
Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.cecybrary.com/login.aspx?dir
ect=true&db=ers&AN=87323510&site=eds-live&scope=site
Ochs, H. L., & Gonzalzles, K. M. (2014). Police brutality.
Salem Press Encyclopedia,. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.cecybrary.com/login.aspx?dir
ect=true&db=ers&AN=95343013&site=eds-live&scope=site
Police brutality. (2002). In World of Criminal Justice, Gale.
Retrieved from
http://search.credoreference.com.proxy.cecybrary.com/content/e
ntry/worldcrims/police_brutality/0
Outline
1. Introduction of scenario
2. What is police corruption?

11. a. How does the majority of police corruption occur?
i. Treating inmates improperly
ii. Violation of 8th Amendment rights against cruel and unusual
punishment
3. Examples of police corruption in scenario
a. Regular physical punishment by reported 90% of inmates
b. Disproportionate retribution
i. Inmates beaten when "walking suspicious"
ii. Punished for not finishing meals quick enough
iii. Assault on alleged teenaged gang members
1. Photographs as proof of incidents
2. Witness testimony from citizens
3. Audio proof of police officers threatening to make an
example out of gang-affiliates
4. Recommendation for improvement
a. Acknowledge corruption
i. Addressing complains made by inmates and citizens
ii. Using photographs and audio as evidence against corruption
b. What tools can law enforcement use to avoid improper
treatment?
i. Community policing
1. Meeting held between law enforcement agency and concerned
citizens
2. Citizens work with police to provide better outlook on
community laws
3. Citizens protecting one another in abiding by State
legislature
4. Police officers equipped with video surveillance to ensure
police brutality does not happen
ii. Enforce stricter 8th Amendment laws
5. Conclusion
6. References
Corrupt Practices of Police and Corrections
Law enforcement as well as corrections personnel are

12. constantly exposed to numerous forms of corruption. They are
confronted with less than ideal conditions or outside their
comfort level. Researchers have attempted to explain why these
individuals succumb to corruption calling it functional
explanation. In other words, corruption is fundamental in
society’s struggle to implement ineffective laws. Many types of
deviance violate the Code of Ethics these officers were sworn to
uphold in addition to it being illegal. These include perjury,
bribery, excessive force beyond legitimate police functions,
misuse of authority, etc. (Barnhart, 2010).
In the correctional system, there has always been a
continuous issue with corruption. Although there are many
reasons why corruption occurs, however, the vast majority agree
that the main reason why officers get involved with corruption
is of personal financial gain (McCarthy,n.d.).
Corruption in the Police Department is also a problem that
affects law enforcement officers as well as the citizens in the
community. It is said that power unavoidably leans toward
corruption and although there is no reason to assume that
officers are any different from other people, society considers
corruption a bigger offense when it involves law enforcement
personnel, leaving the citizens with a sense of betrayal. "Most
studies support the opinion that corruption is widespread in
police departments. The risk of corruption for police is that it
may void the goals of the department and may lead to misuse of
authority increasing and producing more crime instead of
discouraging it (Analysis of Police Corruption,n.d.).
Recommendations on addressing Police and Corrections
Corruption
· Prescreening potential officers
· Although potential officers are interviewed and given
psychological screenings prior to being considered for the
position, it is recommended that a more in depth background
checks and psychological screenings is administered (White,

13. 1999).
· Community involvement
· The community as a whole should get involved with their local
law enforcement agencies. The police agency has the task of
monitoring their own officers, however, the support and
assistance from its community is encouraged. The community
may establish review boards that can keep an eye on the police
agency (Analysis of Police Corruption,n.d.).
· Ethics Training
· Ethics training should not only be offered prior to employment
but throughout the officer’s career. In certain departments as
vice and narcotics, it has been determined that corruption is
higher. Ethics personnel should monitor these departments
regularly in an effort to pro-actively prevent or minimize
corruption (Barry, 1999).
· Merit and Incentive Pay
· It has been noted that when officers are offered incentive pay
for whistle blowing corrupt officers, the rate of corruption is
decreased. In addition, when officers are comfortable with their
rate of pay, merit increases, etc. these officers are less likely to
involve themselves in any type of corruption (Allen, 2003).
Final Paper
In my opinion, the paper should be a combination of all the
members of the group. The first part should include the various
practices of corruption in the police department and correctional
facilities. Second part should include all the recommendations
suggest to help prevent corruption in these departments. This
part should include the importance of all the ethical issues that
need to be addressed.

14. References
Allan, D. (2003, May 27). POLICE RECRUITING AND ITS
IMPACT ON CORRUPTION. In emich.edu. Retrieved
December 2, 2014, from
http://www.emich.edu/cerns/downloads/papers/PoliceStaff/Polic
e%20Personnel%20(e.g.,%20Selection,%20%20Promotion)/Poli
ce%20Recruiting%20and%20Its%20Impact%20on%20Corruptio
n.pdf
Analysis of Police Corruption. (n.d.). In policecrimes.com.
Retrieved December 2, 2014, from
http://www.policecrimes.com/policecorruption.html
Barnhart, T. (2010, February 15). Deviance and Corruption. In
corrections.com. Retrieved December 2, 2014, from
http://www.corrections.com/news/article/23579-deviance-and-
corruption
Barry, D. (1999, December). HANDLING POLICE
MISCONDUCT IN AN ETHICAL WAY. In pegasus.cc.ucf.edu.
Retrieved December 2, 2014, from
http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~cjreg/ethpolcor.htm
McCarthy, B. (n.d.). Keeping an Eye on the Keeper [Prison
Corruption and its Control]. In leo.riohondo.edu. Retrieved
December 2, 2014, from
http://leo.riohondo.edu/aj508/aj250u9.htm
White, S. (1999, June 4). Controlling Police Corruption.
Retrieved December 2, 2014, from
http://web.stanford.edu/class/e297c/poverty_prejudice/paradox/

15. hwhite.html