Role Of Correction Officials Michael S. Walker CRJ 303 Corrections Instructor M. Karabekou March 23, 2014 Role of Correctional Officials Correctional staff are the “heart and soul” of any facility that determines the success or failure of a correctional organization (AJCJ; Spring 2006). The duties of correctional work have been depicted as the most stressful job than any other occupation in the criminal justice system. Nevertheless, most of society knows little about the daily routine of a correctional officer or facility. With that said, I will identify the roles of correction officers, how they engage with the inmates and how the deal with the institution itself and the prison administrators. Job of Correction Officer According to, Bureau of Labor, 2014, correctional officers are responsible for overseeing individuals who have been arrested, awaiting trial or who have been sentenced to serve time in a jail or prison. Inside the prison or jail, correctional officers enforce rules and regulations. They maintain security by preventing disturbances, assaults, and escapes. Furthermore, they supervise the daily activities of inmates, ensuring that inmates obey the rules. Periodically or at any given moment, the officers conduct searches of inmates, cells and facilities. They’re looking for contraband, unsanitary conditions, and signs of a security breach (such as prying window bars and doors), settle disputes between inmates, and enforce discipline. The CO’s (correction officers), use constructive communication to employ the rules and use penalties, which involve punishments, ranging from loss of privileges to solitary confinement (Bureau of Labor, 2014). Besides conducting searches and maintaining orde... ... middle of paper ... ... can carry out the task of a prison administrator. This position is key as there are the drivers to improving the facility and treatment of prisoners. References Correlates Of Correctional Officer Job Stress: The Impact of Organizational Structure Lambert, Eric G; Hogan, Nancy Lynne; Allen, Reva I American Journal of Criminal Justice: AJCJ; Spring 2006; 30, 2; ProQuest Central pg. 227 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Correctional Officers, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/protective-service/correctional-officers.htm Stojkovic, S., & Lovell, R. (2013). Corrections: An introduction. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc What Are the Duties of a Correctional Administrator? by Shane Hall, Demand Media: http://work.chron.com/duties-correctional-administrator-17333.html
The jobs of correctional officer are some times overlooked. Correctional officers are playing a huge role in society because they need to perform important tasks. A correctional officer’s job is not easy and can become very stressful at times. Correctional officers are required to enforce and keep order, supervise inmates, help counsel offenders, search inmate cells for contraband, and also report on inmate actions. Correctional officers need to contain power over the prisoners in order to enforce the rules of the prison, or else the prison will not function correctly. In the book, Conover says, “The essential relationship inside a prison is the one between a guard and an inmate…the guard, it is thought, wields all the power, but in truth the inmate has power too” (Conover, p. 207). In the book, the importance of power the prisoner’s hold can be seen through the sudden increase of prisoners, the Stanford Prison Experiment and through the contraband they make.
There are seven different types of correctional job assignments based on the location in the facility, job description, and the type of contact with inmates (Schmalleger & Smykla, 2015). These correctional assignments are block officers, work detail supervisors, industrial shop and school officers, yard officers, administrative officers, perimeter security officers, and relief officers (Schmalleger & Smykla, 2015).
The way correction officers are treated in prison is dreadful. “A corrections officer was seriously burned Monday morning in an attack by an inmate at the Green Bay Correctional Institution” (Roberts, 2016). This topic interest me because most of my life my brother has described the working conditions of correction officers in prison. I remember him telling me how one officer had his finger bitten off by an inmate. Correction officers are the guards who work in prison to enforce prisoners, so that inmates do not find themselves constantly in trouble. In addition, the officers ensure inmates’ safety. Despite the fact that the officers want to secure the inmate 's safety, people are unaware of the hardships officers face every day. A great deal of the rigorous challenges guards go through are never mentioned on the news or make it to newspapers. Correction officers are rarely mentioned within society, even though they are a huge part of the law enforcement. There is a
There are two different kinds of influences on prison misconduct, there is the combined characteristics of the inmates themselves, and the combined characteristics of the staff in control of them (Camp, Gaes, Langan, Saylor (2003). Prison misconduct has been classified into significant fields related to drug use, violence, property offenses, prison accountability and escapes, security-related offenses, security offenses interfering with daily operations, along with a residual category (Camp, Gaes, Langan, Saylor (2003). Misconduct spoils the effective procedure of the correctional institution, detracting from its capability to present the intentional services to the superior society (Goetting & Howsen (1986).
Correctional institutions are unique work settings because of the unpredictable nature of their physical environment and clientele. Correctional officers are responsible for supervising individuals whom are held against their will. The correctional officer’s main focus is that of security within the institution and for the community. However, they are typically faced with a limited amount of resources and thus must assume these responsibilities without adequate support. The relationship between work resources and job stress indicates that correctional work settings that emphasize involvement, coworker cohesion and managerial support can decrease stress levels (Waters, 1999). Unfortunately, this is a rather uncommon occurrence, leaving correctional officers to face stressors without proper intervention due to fear of stigmatization. Within law enforcement, those individuals who access “mental health” services are labeled as and treated similarly (Aredondo, Shumway, Kimball, Dersch, Morelock, 2002). However, research on effective ways to prevent or reduce the physical and psychological effects of the high levels of stress correctional officers face on a daily basis is limited and a rather new phenomenon. This literature review examines the reasons for correctional officer stress, the implications of such stress, and interventions that are being put in place to combat the consequences of such stress.
I have a great deal of thanks for those who have put their safety on the line to control inmates. However, I also believe they have much to do with the violent outbreaks. For some officers, this position is like a power trip. While there are many honorable officers, you can tell they love the future of the inmates riding in their hands. I have witnessed first hand CO’s getting inmates all wired up knowing the inmate will get themselves in trouble. Often these officers act just as childish as the prisoners! The only difference is the uniforms they’re wearing. The requirements to become a correctional officer is to provide security and to enforce the rules, not to contribute to the
In today’s pop culture, media of all forms portrayals of correctional officers are almost always negative. Correctional officers are portrayed as bad, “meat head” type men. They are depicted as authoritarian, insensitive and without any redeeming qualities. This image of correctional officers is one in which many people believe and think of when they view prison life. These images can be found in films like “Shawshank Redemption”, where guards brutally beat, sometimes to death, the inmates they are responsible for. It is portrayed that the guards do not care about the inmates but instead hate them to the point that most believe they are always harsh and use excessive force. One harsh officer claimed he “wouldn’t piss on them [inmates]
As employees and sworn corrections officer of the Georgia Department of Juvenile justice (DOJJ) we are responsible when we are on duty for ourselves, juveniles, and staff members at all time. We are supposed to set the example daily because we are always being watch by others, display ethical behavior and maintain moral within our organization. Since juvenile correctional officers have many duties, like guiding and acting as life coaches for young inmates that might be mentally, emotionally, or psychologically which calls for them to have qualified staff members on hand to help with their situation. But like everything is this world this world we need to retain a wide variety of qualified staff members from all type of back ground.
Corrections officers are often faced with unimaginable situations in their role in providing the structure for prisoners to go back into society. In corrections facilities, there is a high turnover rate due to the physical and mental strain these officers endure. Issues such as riots, fights, gangs, dealing with inmates with mental health issues, and the potentially negative personality issues that prisoners bring with them to prison. This stress can lead to mental health issues, physical health disorders, and family problems. We need to provide them help and find ways to make the job more manageable to ensure the corrections officers are able to not only do their job, but also lead a productive life outside of work.
They combine current and past criminal information on inmates from police and judicial sources into complete legal reports which assist Parole Board Members with parole decisions. Officers supervise those who are approved to be released on parole and work with other state agencies and community resources to build intervention programs which facilitate the parolee's successful integration back into society. The officer may perform random drug testing, monitor employment history and meet weekly or bimonthly with the offender to guide the parolee's observance of parole conditions
The picture this book paints would no doubt bother corrections professionals in prisons where prisoner-staff relationships and officer solidarity are more developed. In training, Conover is told that "the most important thing you can learn here is to communicate with inmates." And the Sing Sing staff who enjoy the most success and fulfillment i...
...they want to be not only respected but also being able to survive in the prison environment. In prison, there are so many inmates and not two inmates are the same. The inmates will disrespect the officers by calling them names, giving officers difficult times, but it goes the other way around too. It is disturbing image after learning that sometimes it is the officer’s fault and not just the inmates’ wrongdoings. There will be times when officers and inmates will engage in a conspiracy crime and times when the female staff is engaged in sexual actions with an inmate. Conover wrote this book to allow the audience to see the prison society from many different point-of-views and give future officers an early insight to becoming a correctional officer.
A typical day for a Correctional Officer would be the preparing of inmates for court appearances. They also receive new inmates to the facility brought in by the Sheriffs Department. Each new inmate must be photographed and fingerprinted upon immediate arrival to the Pre Trial Centre. They are then stripped and fully searched inside and out. With that ...
Corrections have been in used throughout the centuries in many lands and countries. It is for the punishment and treatment of individuals who have committed crimes against others. The correctional side of the criminal justice system is just one part of a greater whole. Correctional officers have one of the hardest and most dangerous jobs with having a number of responsibilities. Correctional officers are the peace keepers of the prisons and institutions that hold large numbers of convicted criminals. What is to say that all officials of these institutions adhere to the firm rules and regulations of the prisons? There have been many cases where officers of corrections have gone beyond the scope of duty to break moral codes and have been faced with ethical dilemmas. It all comes down the de...
A correctional officer is apart of a staff in a detention center, prison, or a jail that sets to accomplish the goals of the institution’s objectives by maintaining control and order within the prison (Seiter, 2011). While the role of a correctional officer is very crucial within a prison, depending on the unique role to a specific location, it is important that we understand that these humble and quiet guardians are in the correction facilities. Between the different criminal justice facilities, the mission and goals between them are vastly different, although there is very little contrast in the roles that correctional officers play in these facilities. Correctional officers are solely in charge of the direct and constant supervision of prisoners and administering the security procedures and protocols within a facility. These officers also need to be extremely well informed in the technical and interactive realm of the prison system as daily interactions with the inmate population requires them to have strict adherence to policies and a sharp attention to