2. Staff
Roles - The normal patterns of behavior
expected of those holding particular social
positions.
Staff Roles - The patterns of behavior
expected of correctional staff members in
particular jobs.
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3. Four Main Goals of
Correctional Staff Members
1. Provide for the security of the community
2. Promote the smooth and effective functioning
of the institution
3. Ensure that incarceration is secure, but
humane
4. Give inmates the opportunity to develop a
positive lifestyle while incarcerated and gain
the personal and employment skills they need
for a positive lifestyle after release.
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4. Staff Hierarchy
Administrative staff
Clerical personnel
Program staff
Concerned with encouraging prisoners to participate
in educational, vocational, and treatment programs
Custodial staff
Most directly involved in managing the inmate
population
Service and maintenance staff
Volunteers
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5. Bases of Power
Legitimate Power: derived from the correction
officers’ (CO) positions in the organization
Coercive Power: based on the inmates’ belief
that COs can and will punish disobedience
Reward Power: the COs’ ability to dispense both
formal and informal rewards
Gain time – Time taken off an inmate’s
sentence for participating in certain activities
9-5
6. Bases of Power
Expert Power: based on inmates’
perception that certain COs have valuable
skills
Referent Power: based on the inmates’
respect for a particular fair and non-
abusive CO
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7. The Staff Subculture
Structured conflict - The tensions between
prison staff members and inmates that arise out
of the correctional setting
Subculture - The beliefs, values, behavior, and
material objects shared by a particular group of
people within a larger society
Staff subculture - The beliefs, values, and
behavior of staff; they differ greatly from those of
the inmate subculture
9-7
8. The “Officer Code”
Always go to the aid of an officer in distress
Do not “lug” (bring in) drugs for inmate use
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
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9. Correctional Officer Personalities
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
The Merchant: Provides commodities to
inmates, often in violation of institutional rules
The Turnkey: Unmotivated and bored, does
little beyond the basic job requirements
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10. Correctional Officer Personalities -
Continued
The Climber: Usually a diligent worker who
respects the corrections profession and is
focused on rapid professional advancement
The Reformer: The know-it-all who constantly
complains and endlessly criticizes institutional
policies, procedures, and rules
The Do-Gooder: Another type of reformer, but
one who is motivated by a personal agenda
such as religious proselytizing
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11. Job Assignments
Block Officers - supervise inmates in housing
areas
Work Detail Supervisors - oversee the work of
individual inmates and inmate work crews
Industrial Shop and School Officers - ensure
efficient use of training and educational
resources within the prison
Yard Officers - supervise inmates in the prison
yard
9-11
12. Job Assignments - Continued
Administrative Officers - control keys and
weapons and sometimes oversee visitation
Perimeter Security Officers - fill security (gun)
tower, wall, and perimeter patrol posts to prevent
escapes and intrusions
Relief Officers - temporarily replace absent
officers or filling staffing vacancies
These are experienced COs who know and can
perform any custody role in the institution
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13. Female Officers
Face special problems in male-dominated profession
Typically perform with a less aggressive style than
men
Rely more on established disciplinary rules
Another issue concerning women in today’s
workplace is personal and sexual harassment.
Studies show that few female correctional officers
personally experience unwanted touching or other
forms of sexual harassment. The forms of
harassment women most commonly experience are
physical (nonsexual) assaults, threats, unfounded
graphic sexual rumors about them, and demeaning
remarks from peers, inmates, and supervisors.
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14. Female Officers
- Continued
Take job due to interest in human service
work and rehabilitation
Less likely to be assaulted than male officers
Most male officers are supportive of female
officers
Sexual harassment not always taken
seriously
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15. Stress
Tension in a person’s body or mind,
resulting from physical, chemical, or
emotional factors
Factors that create stress:
Feelings of powerlessness
Feelings of meaninglessness
Social isolation
Self-estrangement
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16. Stress Continued
Correctional officers frequently deny that
they are under stress, fearing that
admitting to feelings of stress might be
interpreted unfavorably.
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17. Staff Safety
Safety is a major stressor for COs and a
primary management concern for
correctional administrators
Comprehensive planning and effective
training are essential
Safety concerns permeate every task,
especially the ordinary or routine
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18. Job Satisfaction
High levels of stress reduce the satisfaction
correctional officers get from their jobs.
Correctional officers often feel alienated
from policymaking. This reduces
satisfaction with the job.
Officers who feel that they have some
control over the institution and over their
jobs seem much more satisfied than
officers who believe they have no control.
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19. Professionalism
Training
Supervisory role models
Leadership
Correctional Officer’s Creed
9-19
20. The Impact of Terrorism on
Corrections
Threats in the communities and
institutions from both outsiders and
inmates
“Prison Islam”
Bioterrorism
Those convicted of terrorism present new
challenges for administrators
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21. Terrorism
The FBI says that al-Qaeda continues to
actively recruit followers inside American
correctional institutions. Islamic terrorists
are keenly aware of the 9,600 Muslims
held in the federal prison system and see
them as potential converts.
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22. Kevin James
Sentenced in federal court in Santa Ana, California, to 16
years in prison. James had pleaded guilty in 2007 to
conspiracy to wage war against the United States 56 and
had been accused of plotting terrorist attacks on Jewish
and military targets throughout California. Among those
targets were Los Angeles International Airport, the Israeli
Consulate, and Army recruiting centers. Those who
investigated James’s background found that he had
formed an Islamic terrorist group in California’s
Tehachapi Prison in 1997. While serving a 10-year
sentence for robbery, James joined the Nation of Islam—
a traditional American Islamic faith. Soon, however, he
became engaged terrorist activates.
9-22