Public Safety Should Encourage Our Correctional Officers

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

Prison staff is now dealing with a less stable and sane person than they originally brought into prison. At this point, any aggravation can push an inmate over the edge which can lead to a riot in seconds.

Another current and future issue of concern for prisons and prison administrators stemming from overcrowding is prison violence. Prison researcher Stephen C. Light found that when conditions such as overcrowding worsen. Inmate misconduct often increases (Gaines & Miller, 2008, pp. 340).Prisoners often use violence as a way to show power or to control other inmates. Prison violence is a means of surviving for some inmates who think of violence as a deterrent against victimization or violence to acquire money or sexual favors. The correctional officers also have to resort to violence as a form of discipline or controlling prison gangs and riots.

The overcrowding prison reflects that the inmate population has grown much faster than the funding for prisons, which is controlled at the state level. In most cases, state funding has not come close to keeping up with the rise in the prison population, leading to decrepit prison infrastructure that is wholly inadequate for housing such large numbers of inmates. Without capacity to house inmates properly, some prisons have resorted to having prisoners sleep in gymnasiums, and many have overcrowded cells to accommodate the extra bodies. This overcrowding has led to deteriorating cleanliness of prisons and declining safety. Today, non-violent prisoners are forced to live in close quarters with violent ones, and the results are predictable.

Everyone wants respect and inmates look for respect. A lot of the complaints I have seen from inmates is that the officers disrespected them. They feel that the officer does not need to yell, ?get in their face?, and do complete strip searches all the time. IF inmates are treated with a little respect it goes a long way in an inmate being either a ?model or a disruptive? prisoner. It also helps in the

Overcrowding in prisons is causing prisons to shorten inmates recreation and personal time which ultimately results in more violence. Along with overcrowding comes the issue of more taxpayer money being spent on prison guards compensation. Lastly, one of the worst things that happens from prison overcrowding is that the availability to education programs is reduced as their primary focus is dealing with the amount of inmates not their education.

High Prison population and Overcrowding also lead on to the fact that there will be problems within the prison concerning staff. One of the problems in terms of staff will be the numbers available. With the increasing numbers, and the reductions in the prison budget, means the staff to prisoner ratio will continue to worsen. With this means that the supervision of prisoners will be less available which will reduce time out of cells and time in classes working towards rehabilitation. This also leads on to another problem within staff in prisons, in terms of their relation with the home office. The more prisoners coming into prisons increases the workload for the staff, this is without the relief of additional staff being employed. Staff unrest can lead to industrial action, which will lead to the breakdown of the prison service.

One problem that is faced in the corrections system today is overpopulation in the prisons. Prisons all over the United States are becoming overcrowded and that leads to many other problems such as

Prison guard positions have not been well-regarded by the masses. The low pay, even lower social status, possibility of attacks, and harsh prison environments support such a notion. Furthermore, workload issues, such as limited recovery time, multiple workloads and high peak loads have created stress among a majority of officers (Schaufeli & Peeters, 2011). Workload issues have been linked to dependence on certain staff and the inability to adequately fill positions (Schaufeli & Peeters, 2011). As a result, the hiring and overreliance on less qualified, undereducated, and non-experienced workers created

Q= what are the causes of staff on inmate, inmate on staff, and inmate on inmate violence in both prisons and jails? What can correctional administrators do to prevent or at least reduce violence in correctional facilities?

Prions in the U.S. have changed since the big-house era in the following ways: the prison population has changed, the number of correctional officers that are members of unions, and crime control. The population of African American and Hispanic inmates greatly increased, drug and violent offenses were the majority of crimes committed among the inmates. Gangs have become more common, and have created more violence. “Another major change has been the number of correctional officers who are members of public employee unions, along with their use of collective bargaining to improve working conditions, safety procedures, and training.” (Clear, T. R., Cole, G. F., & Reisig, M. D. 2013). For management, these changes mean that the protection of the

5. Regardless of race, national origin, color, religion, sex, age, or disability everyone will be treated fairly.

When someone is an inmate in a prison they are given very few rights so guards feel like they can do whatever they want to them. However, there is a line to disciplining inmates. Rikers Island in New York was subject to a lot of brutality claims in 2006. In October 5th of 2005 an inmate and a guard had and altercation which ended with the inmate slashing the guard in the face with a sharpened watch face. The inmate fled but, was soon apprehended the guards wanted to send a message “Guards were intent on sending a message. Dozens of infuriated guards, dressed in riot gear and armed with batons, stormed the cellblocks bent on revenge. Who’s in charge of this house? a guard screamed at Michael LoMonaco as he punched him repeatedly. You are, you are! LoMonaco screamed back but it did not stop the beatings. LoMonaco, a mental health patient, was among dozens of prisoners who were beaten as they lay handcuffed on their bunks”. (Hunter Gary) These were not the only incidents a lawsuit in 2002 which was settled on behalf of 20 prisoners in 2006 “Among the most notable victims were Shawn Davis who was blinded in one eye, Eric Richards received a ruptured eardrum and Charles Paige suffered a fractured cheekbone The very first blow was to my face, said Paige. He was handcuffed behind his back at the time”. (Hunter Gary) Paige, a 46-year old Muslim was undergoing a cell search when a guard stepped on

A Corrections Officer has many duties to consider as they manage the activities of inmates. They are charged with the responsibilities of conducting head counts, monitoring recreational activities, and supervising their work assignments while maintaining a safe environment ensuring the welfare of those who are incarcerated in the correctional facility and employed there, as well as protect the safety of the public communities. They are investigators trained to search for illegal or prohibited goods smuggled into the institution, respond to riots, transport inmates and write reports. Although the job of an officer is challenging still the manner in which they ought to interact with the inmates should exemplify a standard of discipline that displays ethical professionalism, and respect at all times.

Corruption in many prisons has disabled a prison from fulfilling its mission. Corruption mainly is in