250 WORDS EACH  Q. 1. Correctional employees are responsible for the functionality of the jail or prison in which they are assigned to.  They are divided into two sections the security and the program section. On the security side they are responsible for the movement of all inmates and the day to day lives of the inmates. “In this role, the security staff serves as a quasi-court system within the prison facility by hearing testimony related to the alleged violation, both from the inmate, as well as witnesses that might be correctional staff members or other inmates” (APUS). They are able to hand down punishments and infractions as they see and will offer disciplinary actions as needed. They are also responsible for the safety of the inmates as well. On the other side of the correctional role is the program role. They are responsible for rehab and re integrate these inmates back into society. They can pinpoint needs and make a plan to help them, this includes levels of security, what programs they can take and what will make them productive members of society. While these staff members encounter a variety of inmates and people they also have stress which adds to their daily life. They are in regular contact with inmates, some which can be violent and high risk inmates. They are held in  the same conditions as the inmates and are subject to restricted access and sensitive information. When people are held with those who are criminals in any capacity for long periods of time there is corruption that can happen in very different ways some minimal and some bigger. “The level of compensation for staff working in many correctional agencies is not very high. Add to that the fact that these individuals are interacting on a regular basis with criminals that are willing to pay for assistance with smuggling in prohibited items and the temptation for officer corruption becomes high” (APUS). While correctional officers should be held to a higher standard there are different levels of corruption that happens. Inmates knowing that lower wages are paid to staff members they are able to pay them money to do things such as smuggle goods into the prison, contraband such as cell phones, extra privileges within the prison like outside time, perhaps better jobs and extra perks for money. You will also see things where there is sexual relations amongst prisoners and staff members. Another would be prisoners who want to manipulate the guards by offering them money so they are able to injure other inmates, they are able to control things and get away with offences. Money seems to be the motivator to this, there is also the factor of possibly knowing one another which is why things like rings, tattoos and other personal identifiers are used in order to have the inmates not be able to blackmail officers or use that against them. I think that training is the number one aid to the issue. Being able to identify as a supervisor if a guard is having too much contact wit.

1. 250 WORDS EACH
Q. 1. Correctional employees are responsible for the
functionality of the jail or prison in which they are assigned to.
They are divided into two sections the security and the program
section. On the security side they are responsible for the
movement of all inmates and the day to day lives of the inmates.
“In this role, the security staff serves as a quasi-court system
within the prison facility by hearing testimony related to the
alleged violation, both from the inmate, as well as witnesses
that might be correctional staff members or other inmates”
(APUS). They are able to hand down punishments and
infractions as they see and will offer disciplinary actions as
needed. They are also responsible for the safety of the inmates
as well. On the other side of the correctional role is the program
role. They are responsible for rehab and re integrate these
inmates back into society. They can pinpoint needs and make a
plan to help them, this includes levels of security, what
programs they can take and what will make them productive
members of society. While these staff members encounter a
variety of inmates and people they also have stress which adds
to their daily life. They are in regular contact with inmates,
some which can be violent and high risk inmates. They are held
in the same conditions as the inmates and are subject to
restricted access and sensitive information.
When people are held with those who are criminals in any
capacity for long periods of time there is corruption that can
happen in very different ways some minimal and some bigger.
“The level of compensation for staff working in many
correctional agencies is not very high. Add to that the fact that
these individuals are interacting on a regular basis with
criminals that are willing to pay for assistance with smuggling
in prohibited items and the temptation for officer corruption

2. becomes high” (APUS). While correctional officers should be
held to a higher standard there are different levels of corruption
that happens. Inmates knowing that lower wages are paid to
staff members they are able to pay them money to do things
such as smuggle goods into the prison, contraband such as cell
phones, extra privileges within the prison like outside time,
perhaps better jobs and extra perks for money. You will also see
things where there is sexual relations amongst prisoners and
staff members. Another would be prisoners who want to
manipulate the guards by offering them money so they are able
to injure other inmates, they are able to control things and get
away with offences. Money seems to be the motivator to this,
there is also the factor of possibly knowing one another which
is why things like rings, tattoos and other personal identifiers
are used in order to have the inmates not be able to blackmail
officers or use that against them.
I think that training is the number one aid to the issue. Being
able to identify as a supervisor if a guard is having too much
contact with an inmate, if someone is seeing something that can
be thought of as corrupt they are reporting it and that there are
serious consequences for doing so. I don’t think the answer is
minimal contact with prisoners because not everyone is bad and
cant be rehabilitated but that there needs to be no personal
information or contact with them. I know that paying higher
wages doesn’t always happen but possibly offer incentives like
housing or bonuses or something that can maybe offset some
costs so that financially they are okay.
Will
U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons. (n.d.). About our agency:
Mission.
U.S. Department of Justice
. Retrieved from
https://www.bop.gov/about/agency/agency_pillars.jsp

3. Q. 2.
Corruption continues to be a significant and widespread
problem throughout prisons and jails in the United States. While
security measures have been implemented over the years to
prevent contraband from being brought into facilities during
visitation by family and friends of those incarcerated, there has
been an increase in corruption among correctional staff,
officers, and employees, from top administrators, through the
ranks, down to the officers. Unethical behaviors by correctional
staff, officers, and employees, oftentimes motivated by greed,
include accepting bribes or sexual favors from inmates in
exchange for smuggling in contraband into correctional
facilities. Some types of illicit contraband that is smuggled into
facilities by employees include: weapons, drugs, cell phones,
and tobacco products (Columbia Law School, 2016).
Additional factors that may cause otherwise moral and ethical
employees (“employees” encompasses all personnel who work
in a correctional facility) to cross the line and engage in illegal
acts can be attributed to; low paying wages, working in a
negative and dangerous environment, the constant fear of being
exposed to the possible threat of physical harm, lack of support
and appreciation by administrators and staff, and the exposure
to working with disgruntled co-workers (Pittaro, 2018).
Employees who engage in illegal acts of smuggling contraband
into correctional facilities not only compromise their own
personal safety and values of integrity, but also put the safety of
other employees and inmates in harm’s way, as well as
breaching the security of the facility and elevating the risk for
escapes and/or riots. For instance, administration officials
within the Rikers Island prison in New York City have

4. attributed the rise in violence and gang activity to the increased
number of weapons, particularly edged weapons or blades that
have been smuggled into the facility. Also, the use of cell
phones smuggled into the facilities has allowed for gang leaders
and transnational criminal organizations to continue to operate
their criminal enterprises from behind bars (Columbia Law
School, 2016).
Throughout the United States prison administrators and other
government entities have implemented various type of
initiatives to combat workplace corruption in the prison system.
Prisons in Los Angles County and in Atlanta focused their
corruptions initiatives in response to high-profile corruption
scandals. In 2011, in Los Angeles County, the FBI investigated
the abuse of inmates and corrupt deputies, with the help an
inmate to collect information to assist in their investigation.
Top officials within the Sheriff’s Department became aware of
the inmate’s cooperation with the FBI, and the inmate was
transferred to another facility under a different name. As a
result of the FBI’s investigation, and the Sheriff’s Department
attempt to derail the investigation, 10 prison officials, including
the Sheriff and Undersheriff were convicted for their roles in
the abuse, corruption, and attempted cover-up. In Atlanta, the
FBI initiated an investigation into a kidnapping and murder
scheme that was put into motion by an inmate serving a life
sentence, by using a cell phone that was smuggled into the
prison by a prison guard. The investigation, dubbed “Operation
Ghost Guard” uncovered the smuggling for profit of cell phones
by prison guards. The guards were paid between $500 and
$1000 for each cell phone by inmates. The inmates in turn used
the cell phones to commit various crimes from their prison
cells, to include identity theft, financial fraud, and narcotics
trafficking. The investigation resulted in the seizure of more
than 23,000 cell phones from a prison population of an estimate
50,000 inmates (Columbia Law School, 2016).

5. References
Columbia Law School (2016).
Prison corruption. The problem and some potential solutions.
Retrieved from
https://www.law.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/microsites/pub
lic-integrity/files/prison_corruption_-
_capi_community_contribution_-_september_2016.pdf
Pittaro, M. (2018).
Why are some correctional employees corrupt?
Retrieved from
https://www.correctionsone.com/jail-management/articles/why-
are-some-correctional-employees-corrupt-
sYYEMXfDygLiAQMB/