Use the terms to answer the following questions. Imagine that you work in a prison as a correctional officer. Remember your post must be at least 300 words
- Which officer personality would you display and why?
- Which types of power would you utilize as an officer and why?
- Which correctional officer job assignment would you want and why?
- Which correctional staff issues would most affect you and why?
Key Terms
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.
CUSTODIAL STAFF: Those staff members most directly involved in managing the inmate population.
PROGRAM STAFF: Those staff members concerned with encouraging prisoners to participate in educational, vocational, and treatment programs.
GAIN TIME: Time taken off an inmate’s sentence for participating in certain activities such as going to school, learning a trade, and working in prison.
STRUCTURED CONFLICT: The tensions between prison staff members and inmates that arise out of the correctional setting.
SUBCULTURE: The beliefs, values, behaviors, 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.
CORRECTIONAL OFFICER PERSONALITIES: The distinctive personal characteristics of correctional officers including behavioral, emotional, and social traits.
BLOCK OFFICERS: Those responsible for supervising inmates in housing areas.
WORK DETAIL SUPERVISORS: Those who oversee the work of individual inmates and inmate work crews.
INDUSTRIAL SHOP AND SCHOOL OFFICERS: Those who ensure efficient use of training and educational resources within the prison.
YARD OFFICERS: Those who supervise inmates in the prison yard.
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS: Those who control keys and weapons and sometimes oversee visitation.
Correctional Officer Personalities
The merchant: Provides commodities to inmates, often in violation of institutional rules
The turnkey: Unmotivated and bored, does little beyond the basic job requirements.
The do-gooder: Reformer who is motivated by a personal agenda such as religious proselytizing.
The climber: Diligent worker who respects the corrections profession and is focused on rapid professional advancement
The reformer : Know-it-all who constantly complains and endlessly criticizes institutional policies, procedures, and rules
Correctional Officers’ Power Bases
- Legitimate power: Derived by the virtue of position in the organization
- Coercive power: Based on the inmates’ belief that COs can and will punish disobedience.
- Reward power: COs’ ability to dispense both formal and informal rewards
Gain time: Time taken off an inmate’s sentence for participating in certain activities.
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.
Correctional Officer Job Assignments
- Block Officers. Supervise inmates in housing areas Block Officers
- Work Detail Supervisors: Oversee the work of individual inmates and inmate work crews Work Detail Supervisors
- Industrial Shop and School Officer. Ensure efficient use of training and educa-onal resources within the prison Industrial Shop and School Officer.
- Yard Officers: Supervise inmates in the prison yard
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