Workplace Observation Report

Workers express why and how they become desensitized through strict policy, regulation, and the specialized emotional stance necessary to interact with these prisoners. Acting as servants for the lives of some bad apples, observing civilized men be reduced to the natural man, and acting in adherence to authority with little voice heard by superiors, this work requires a specialized emotional stance.
You've got to have a little compassion, but you cannot become involved.
Officers must also be aware of the consequences of their behavior with inmates. These people may choose to retaliate in any way that could cause severe harm or prove fatal to themselves or other. Being deprived of everything else, prisoners may make weapons out of their own bodies. Towards others, this can be anything allowed by their remaining freedom of movement such assaulting the staff- even by throwing feces, blood, urine, and semen at the staff through their cuff ports- to refusing to return meal trays. However, this may result in staff retaliation, or individuals who control the aspects of their lives, and the circle continues.
...It's too late now, but I don't know want to be [like this]- I don't want to be what I've been created into. I do get mad. Sometimes they literally [have] me pulling my hair out... to prevent myself from going off but most of the time I want to fight

They vowed to refuse food until five human rights demands were met. These demands were to end group punishment, abolish the debriefing policy, end long term solitary confinement, provide decent food, and provide a constructive system and due process guaranteed by the constitution for inmates exposed to segregated housing units. Specifically, they wanted warm clothes for their hour of exercise and permission to make one phone call each week (Keramet Reiter