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The Core Focus Of The Prison Officer

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This statement, that rule enforcement is the core focus of the prison officers job, is underestimating the challenges and risks that come with being a prison officer. Research shows that there is more pressure on the officers than to just administer the rules, they are dealing with human beings who have a range of emotional and daily challenges they must overcome in prison. A prison officer has daily contact with these prisoners which is why rules cannot be fully implemented, all the time. “…guard buys compliance or obedience at the cost of tolerating disobedience” (Sykes 1958, p.57). They were created to guide the officers, there are numerous elements that are equally or in some cases more important that enforcing specific prison rules. …show more content…

Comparing prisoner experience and opinions of prison officers between the two institutions, harsh rule enforcement shows to be detrimental to the prisoners self-respect but causes hostility with the regime.. A prisoner in Albany, a category B prison states that “ most of [institution] rules are not designed for any specific purpose other than for bashing you over the head every day of the week to remind you your in prison” (ibid, p.191). Inmates are being controlled and dictated forcefully, with no input into their regime. This shows that with no social agreement or relationship between inmate and staff, inmates are being punished in an inequitable manner, by the unethical abuse to dominate. Jeweks states that ‘total domination over prisoners is fiction’ (2007, p.124), that prisoners will have no sense of internal duty to comply to the officers. Long Lartin, a category A prison on the Isle of White, proposes a sense of confidence in the prisoners, as they have privileges that most prisons do not have, for example; a generous gym, allowing prisoners outdoors during summer nights, ownership of clothes and no escorts needed (Sparks, Bottoms and Hay, 1996, p.171). “If they treat you like an animal or a lump of wood, you act like one. If they treat you like a human being, you behave like a human being” (ibid p.172). By allowing the prisoners a degree of

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