NCJ Number
63685
Journal
Crime and Delinquency Dated: (JULY 17, 1971) Pages: 302-309
Date Published
1971
Length
8 pages
Annotation
THE ROLE OF TRAINING PROGRAMS AS CHANGE AGENTS WITHIN CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS IS STUDIED AS WELL AS THE PROGRAM GOALS AND THE MEANS USED TO ACHIEVE THEM.
Abstract
BECAUSE CORRECTIONAL CHANGE MOVES TOWARD GREATER EMPHASIS ON REHABILITATION, THE GUARD ROLE OF CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS HAS BECOME LESS ACCEPTABLE. BOTH RESEARCH EVIDENCE AND MANPOWER SHORTAGES HAVE EXERTED PRESSURES FOR CHANGE IN THE CORRECTIONAL OFFICER'S ROLE AND HAVE SUGGESTED GOALS THAT, WITHOUT REMOVING SECURITY FUNCTIONS, WOULD PROVIDE FOR FUNCTIONS TO BE CARRIED OUT AS INTELLIGENTLY AND HUMANELY AS POSSIBLE. OFFICERS WOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO VIEW CONTROL AS A MEANS TO AN END RATHER THAN AS AN END IN ITSELF AND THE CONFLICT WHICH OFTEN CHARACTERIZES OFFICER-INMATE RELATIONS WOULD BE REDUCED BY INCREASING THE OFFICERS' INTERPERSONAL UNDERSTANDING AND SKILLS. TRAINING PROGRAMS THAT WOULD HELP ACHIEVE THESE GOALS, HOWEVER, ARE OFTEN RESISTED BY CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS WHO VIEW THE INSTIGATORS, GENERALLY TREATMENT STAFF, AS INSUFFICIENTLY CONCERNED ABOUT SECURITY NEEDS, LACKING REAL UNDERSTANDING OF INMATES, AND SOMETIMES CONVEYING THE THREAT OF INNOVATION AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE. AN ALTERNATIVE MODEL IS TO RECRUIT, FROM WITHIN THE INSTITUTION, TRAINING STAFF WHO REPRESENT BOTH TREATMENT AND SECURITY, ARE ACCEPTING INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE, ENJOY BOTH FORMAL AND INFORMAL STATUS WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES, AND CAN WORK TOGETHER. GREATER STAFF AWARENESS OF ON-THE-JOB FUNCTIONING AND APPRECIATION OF INMATES AS INDIVIDUALS CAN BE BROUGHT ABOUT WITH THE HELP OF SUCH TOOLS AS ROLE-PLAYING, STAFF DISCUSSION OF JOB-RELATED PROBLEMS, AND GREATER CONTACT WITH INMATES AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT. FOOTNOTES ARE PROVIDED.