The Prison System and its Impact on Society
Fort Hays University

Impressions of the Correctional System
Correctional officers expect their job to be mentally demanding and at times physically demanding. What they do not expect is to be a scapegoat because prison administrators pass the blame for system problems onto the correctional officers as a means of protecting themselves (Copes & Pogrebin, 2012). They also do not expect the lack of concern for their safety. This lack of concern often leads officers to allow blatant violations of prison policies to ensure their safety (Copes & Pogrebin, 2012). These violations create additional problems because inmates will in turn come to expect the disregard of prison policies as the rule and push the limits on other polices. This leads to the creation of a viscous circle, which does nothing more than to create more stress and distrust for officers and prisoners alike.
It really depends on the inmate as to the impression they have. You have old-timers who view prison as their home (Copes & Pogrebin, 2012). They have a respect for the officers that most other inmates do not. They, along with the officers, view younger inmates as troublemakers who were doing nothing more than disrupting the order established by themselves and the correctional staff (Copes & Pogrebin, 2012). Troublemakers view it as their homes too, just in a different way. The cell is an apartment and the common area is a neighborhood. These inmates have no understanding of what it means to do time (Copes & Pogrebin, 2012). They do what they want regardless of the consequences or the impact to others. This type of inmate is involved in activities that are not only against prison policies, but also against the law.
Families often view prison as a source of stress. Significant others are left at home have to raise children on their