...OF A CORRECTIONAL OFFICER CRJ: 303 Corrections 17 March 2013 Abstract The life of a correctional officer is something that is easily over looked. Not understanding or knowing the intricate details that go into what it actually takes to coexist with incarcerated inmates is one of the reasons that the general public is able to go about their daily lives, not thinking or wondering how those inmates are controlled. Correctional officers have one of the hardest jobs on the planet, having to work with prison inmates on a daily basis and not knowing when something may happen that could endanger themselves or their fellow correctional officers. Keywords: daily, corrections, life, officers, policies, The life of a correctional officer is a multi-prong one. A correctional officer is a staff person in a prison or jail who accomplishes the institution’s mission by maintaining control and order within the prison (Seiter, 2011). While the job of a correctional officer is very critical within a prison and may vary vastly depending on the role unique to a certain prison or jail, it is very important that we all understand that these quiet guardians are the tip of the spear in the correctional facilities. The differences between jails and prisons have been clearly defined and the missions between the two are considerately different, there is relatively little difference in the actual roles that correctional officers play in the two types of facilities. Correctional officers are solely...
Words: 1065 - Pages: 5
...Sexual assault within a correctional institution is something that most citizens who live freely outside of such facilities may think is merely a small inconvenience that few criminals may possibly experience while incarcerated within the prison system. However, this is an issue that has gained a great deal of attention from those within the facilities, and those who study the facilities as well. In the article “Responding to Incidents of Sexual Victimization in Correctional Institutions: Correctional Officer Perspectives”, written by Carrie L. Cook and Jodi Lane, sexual assault in correctional institutions and how it is responded to is studied from the perspective of the correctional officer. According to Cook & Lane (2017), “This study examines...
Words: 1459 - Pages: 6
...must operate under the law to be able to successfully take care of the inmates by which they house within their facilities, they have to teach and educate each officer on all levels of the understanding of the constitution, and not only for the guiding and maintaining a safe environment and implementing the proper rules and regulations when it comes to inmates but the officers on duty within the jail and prisons are heal accountable for knowing and understanding they have the rights and must be also treated under the constitution as employees, the inmates within the confinement has over the years been able to study and gain a knowledge that may even be superior to 85% of the officers that works within a facility and often times know how to work and use their rights to gain control over an officer. According to the Course Text there is a consideration of constitutional law and prisoners’ rights such as civil rights of prisoners, the prisons and jails must operate under the law to be able to successfully take care of the inmates by which they house within their facilities, they have to teach and educate each officer on all levels of the understanding of the constitution, and not only for the guiding and maintaining a safe environment and implementing the proper rules and regulations when it comes to inmates but the officers on duty within the jail and prisons are heal accountable for knowing and understanding they have the rights and must be also treated under the constitution as...
Words: 674 - Pages: 3
...citizen. Some of these connotations have created several myths surrounding what a correctional institution is and what it does. Ideally, mentally ill offenders that are assigned to a correctional facility are supposedly “rehabilitated” through such an assignment. However, as a state or sheriff office representatives- we as a community of professional are not at liberty to mistreat other human beings- morally and ethically. Conversely, prison, jail, and correctional environment are different. This is a subculture within a subculture- with its own rules, regulation, and policies for both employee’s and inmates a like. (Mash, 2013, Para. 2) International Association for Correctional Psychology and Forensic (IACFP) standards discussed in chapter 12 of Bartol and Bartol (2012) holds an institutional psychologist responsible for their actions even though the client population are in secure custody, and in most events in segregation. As the authors elaborate on page (pp. 411-413)… “Both jails and prisons… can be violent, noisy… demeaning places that promote isolation, helplessness and subservience through the use of overwhelming power, often by instilling fear”( Bartol and Bartol, 2012, p. 411). In collaboration, all these feelings can help and generate thoughts of suicide, thoughts of inadequacy, lack of self-worth, and loss of humanity. Needless to say, Bartol and Bartol (2012) further state… “Correctional professionals maintain that both jails and prisons also can be operated in a humane...
Words: 1264 - Pages: 6
...satisfaction among jail officers” Abstract This article I chose is on a study done on job satisfaction among 373 jail correctional officers in one state in the Northwest area. This study advances the literature on the workplace experiences of correctional officers by focusing on officers who work in a jail setting. The results indicate that for jail correctional officers in this study, a lower level of education, greater supervisory support, lower job stress and lower general stress were significant predictors of higher job satisfaction. The majority of the studies done on correctional officers are usually focused on prisons. Both settings are correctional settings, the population is very different. Prisons are state ran facilities and usually house offenders that have been sentenced 1year or more. Jails are locally operated and receive individuals awaiting trial, convictions, and or sentencing. The jail population also consists of re-offenders, bond violators, mentally ill, protective custody, just for a few examples. Jails differ from prisons in other ways such as high volume of admissions, with an average length of stay. The research among job satisfaction of correctional officers was provided by two models termed the Importations-Differential Experiences model and the Work Role-Prisonization model (Voorhis, 1991). These two models were previously adapted from a previous study that was done on the impact of race and gender on correctional officer’s orientation...
Words: 607 - Pages: 3
...The normal challenge for female Correctional Officer or Staff member is the gender itself. Often at times the staff in a prison facility are harsher to those that are of the dominate gender in that one facility. Some may believe that females are not capable enough to handle the hardships that come with working with inmates. Statistically, many facilities don’t have female staff members due to aspects of working in a prison facility; especially in a male dominated area. According to Frank DiMarino, as of 2007, the number of female correctional staff was at about 37 % (Women as Corrections Professionals). There are few but hard-hitting effects of female COs that make working at a facility challenging; which include gender bias/victimization, stereotypes against women in the environment of a facility, and attitudes in the facility with gender bias, and aspects of stress with working at a facility that is predominately male. An increasing factor that follows the female population around the work-force is the association with gender bias. Too often do work-forces harshen the work load when the difference of gender comes into play at a place where it is predominately male or female. The underlying factor of gender difference is one of the most reasons why most women do not last in a predominately male facility for correctional officers. Women often feel fearful and/or vulnerable in a male dominated correctional facility. “A female corrections officer is more likely to respond more...
Words: 1563 - Pages: 7
...Correctional Officers’ Experiences Summary William Bleser Alex Lee Ruby Osorio Amy Crivolio CJA/234 Saturday March 8, 2014 Anthony J. Perish Correctional Officers’ Experiences Summary A correctional officer has to keep security to a certain level in a certain prison or jail facility by stopping and preventing any disturbances such as assaults and escapes. Correctional officers must supervise the activities of inmates daily. They must make sure that the inmates do not break the rules and finish their assignments. Correctional officers supervisor expect them to perform their job correctly while interacting professionally to the inmates. The officers are expected to show no signs of weakness while performing their job duties. Correctional Officers play a very vital role in the criminal justice field. Their jobs are very dangerous when dealing with inmates that are in jail and prisons. ”The role they take in is very different from other law enforcement jobs within prions and jails.” (Seiter, 2011). The function of correctional officer is to help aid prisons by gaining power and control over regulations throughout the prisons and jails. They also are responsible for criminals who have committed a crime and been arrested, which now are awaiting trial. Correctional Officer functions are to enforce and keep order, supervise activities of inmates, aid in rehabilitation and counseling of offenders, search inmates for contraband items and report on inmates...
Words: 706 - Pages: 3
...Robert P. Munoz Jr Scrapbook Project CJAD 345 Columbia College 19 December 2014 Table of Contents 1. Police Role – (Chapter 5 – The Police Role in Society) Article: Richard Goerling, “The Role of Mindfulness Training in Policing a Democratic Society,” Officer Safety Corner, The Police Chief 81 (April 2014): 10–11 Web Sites: Community Policing: A Model for Today's Society. (2004, May 4). Retrieved December 10, 2014, from http://www.policeone.com/community-policing/articles/86020-Community-Policing-A-Model-for-Todays-Society/ Role of police in society. (n.d.). Retrieved December 10, 2014, from http://www.activistrights.org.au/handbook/ch01s06.php BENZIGER, J. (2010, November 1). The Role of Police in Democracy. Retrieved December 10, 2014, from http://www.dynamicyouth.org/index.php?option=com_content&id=1583:the-role-of-police-in-democracy&Itemid=85 2. Corruption – (Chapter 7 – Police Corruption and Responses) Article: Griffith, D. (2003, October 1). Corruption: Cracking Down on Bad Cops. Retrieved December 10, 2014, from http://www.policemag.com/channel/patrol/articles/2003/10/corruption-cracking-down-on-bad-cops.aspx Web Sites: Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved December 10, 2014, from http://www.policemisconduct.net/statistics/ Police Corruption and Misconduct. (n.d.). Retrieved December 10, 2014, from http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/PoliceCorruptionandMisconduct White, S. (1999, July 4). Controlling Police Corruption. Retrieved...
Words: 3374 - Pages: 14
...Correctional Officers Patricia Johnson CRJ 303 Prof. Lott April 18, 2012 Correctional Officers The life of a corrections officer is and can be very dangerous. Corrections officers have to deal with hundreds of inmates on a daily bases and ensure that each inmate is safe and secure while under their supervision. Being a corrections officer can also be very stressful and dangerous. They are not only concern with their safety, but the safety of other officers, visitors, and the inmates. This job is not for everyone only for the strong and strong minded. As with any job, corrections officers have to perform a post order, before getting started for the day. Their day consist of routine activities and constant communication with inmates and other staff members. Their shift will start first with them arriving and reading the log book, then dealing with inmates going to work, eating lunch, going to the recreation yard and them ending it by recording what happen throughout the day and turning over their keys to the next shift. Corrections officers play crucial roles in the functioning of correctional institutions. They create and maintain the social and security milieu within prisons and often have direct impact on the behavior of inmates through their daily contact with inmates. Studies showed, however, that the correctional work environment was fraught with stress. Many studies found that corrections officers experienced excessive stress, which manifested in physical illnesses...
Words: 661 - Pages: 3
...Newman,1978), Employees in a work environment can be affected by both personal situations and workplace situations. Depending on how employees deal with stress, it can affect both their personal lives, and their lives in the workplace. For law enforcement officers, stress at the workplace can arise from being involved in dangerous situations, experiencing traumatic injuries to other individuals, or being required to work unconventional hours. Officer’s need to deal with these stressors, and can do so in both positive and negative ways. Some positive ways an officers can deal with stress is through exercise or developing new hobbies. Negative responses to stress can manifest themselves in such destructive ways as alcoholism and drug abuse. If Officer’s are unable to develop positive ways to deal with stress, it could possibly lead to career ending mistakes. Inmate/officer Conflict Much research and many studies have been performed on the relationship between inmates and correctional officers. If you could take a census between the officers they would address such issues as the overcrowding of prisons, prison gangs and most of all the inmates violence on other inmates and correctional officers. Most correctional officers share the fear of being attacked by the...
Words: 1288 - Pages: 6
...Correctional Officers' Experiences Summary Team D CJA/234 July 1, 2015 Yolonda Johnson Correctional Officers' Experiences Summary Hello, we are Team D. Team D is a group of four members Jimmy Bolden, Deshonda Council, Michael Mosley, and Mahasolin Robinson. We see that this class have four questions to ask Team D. Deshonda Council will answer question 1 (How does the prison environment influence the way you ensure security and custody in your prison?). Michael Mosley will answer question 2 (What methods of secure custody do you use in your prison?). Mahasolin Robinson will answer question 3 (How do you ensure professionalism among the corrections staff?). Jimmy Bolden will answer question 4 (Do you work for a private or non-private prison? How do your daily work experiences differ from those of others according to the type of prison you work for?). 1. How does the prison environment influence the way you ensure security and custody in your prison? To ensure security and custody within our prison system, we as correctional officers handle maintaining and upholding the custody plus the safety of each inmate and the correctional officer that is in our prison system. As correctional officers, we are there to protect the integrity and safety of the prison system. In our correctional facility, the prisoner are classify according to their security needs such as, escape risk, prior records, and those who may have already spent time in and out of the penal system. ...
Words: 1233 - Pages: 5
...Corrections accreditation is a system of verification that correctional agencies/facilities comply with national standards promulgated by the American Correctional Association. Accreditation is achieved through a series of reviews, evaluations, audits and hearings (ACA.org, n. d.). According to the American Correctional Association (n. d.) in order for a correctional facility to be eligible for accreditation they must hold convicted adults or juveniles adjudicated delinquent, pretrial or presentenced adults or juveniles, and/or adult or juveniles offenders sentenced to community supervision. It officially began in 1978, and today it is jointly administrated by the American Correctional Association (ACA) and the Commission on Accreditation in Corrections (CAC). The accreditation program offers public and private organizations performing correctional functions the opportunity to evaluate their operations against national standards, to remedy deficiencies, and to upgrade the quality of correctional programs and services (Foster, 2006). Foster (2006) stated “professionalization has to do with gaining professional status for persons working in corrections” (p.176). The professional development of corrections officers is truly affected by the corrections accreditation. They work toward obedience within the standards that represent professional practices. There are millions of people who work in the jail and prisons system for adults and juveniles. Some of those public employees work...
Words: 475 - Pages: 2
...challenges especially in rehabilitating the behavior of inmates within correctional facilities. The purpose of this research paper will be to assess the various issues that exist in rehabilitative programs within prison systems. Basically, rehabilitation programs are used to correct and rehabilitate criminal offenders so that they can emerge as useful members of society once they complete their prison sentences. Some of the rehabilitation programs that are commonly used to reform inmates include counseling, health and fitness programs, transcendental meditation, academic programs and religious programs. These rehabilitative programs are usually based on the assumption that criminal behavior in most suspects is caused by some contributing factor such as a history of violence, psychological or mental disorders. Such an assumption does not refute that some criminals make their own personal choices to break the law but rather it argues that these personal choices are usually caused by certain factors which contribute to criminal behavior. Rehabilitation programs are therefore based on such perspectives where the various correctional programs are designed to deal with criminal enforcing behavior. For example counseling programs could focus on the behavior that led to the criminal offender committing the offense while educational programs could focus on how to change negative behavior to positive behavior. Correctional programs in prison facilities are therefore important in reducing the...
Words: 2134 - Pages: 9
...with the arrest of a suspected person. All communication from the arresting officer, prosecutors, defendants, and the judge will have an impact on a the criminal justice process. Communication, verbal and non verbal, is absolutely detrimental to all branches of the criminal justice system. Cultural and language differences are a common reason for miscommunication. When communicating with people in different cultures, a person should be extremely aware of the hand gestures and non-verbal communication tools they are using. Many of the hand gestures used in the United States that mean “good” things, mean offensive and profane things to other cultures. Proper and effective communication skills are a crucial part of a police officers job. Public announcements and updates on criminal activity must be completely accurate and kept to a “need to know” format. A police officer must know how to release just enough information to satisfy the public, yet not jeopardize the an investigation. Dr George Thompson, a former police officers and English teacher, developed a form of communication called tactical verbal communication. Tactical verbal communication allows officers to reduce potentially hostile situations with their words and presence. This form of communication redirects hostility and officers gain control of the situation and have a positive outcome. Tactical verbal communication trains officers to assess a situation and respond in a respectful way versus being intimidation...
Words: 875 - Pages: 4
...(eight) elaborates on the experiences of the correctional staff members. I found these two equally important yet interestingly contradictory ideas to cover together. Both sections are full of information and relates well with the extra research on the specific topics. Summary and Analysis: The introductory information contain in Section VII was relating origin and history of parole. What was interesting that I did not know previously is that we adopted the term parole from the French, and it means “word of honor”. This was quite an icebreaker from the authors introducing what parole truly should be. I hadn’t truly thought about the fact that parole is still a somewhat new concept just 170 years old. I state that the parole concept still is somewhat new, because the correctional concepts in previous chapters that we have read about reach farther back into history than parole does. Parole was concept that was just introduced into correctional community around the 1840’s...
Words: 1247 - Pages: 5
