Preview

Correctional Subculture

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
504 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Correctional Subculture
The correctional subculture has various ethical questions pertaining to a correction officer and his duties. According to Thomson and Wadsworth (2005), when an officer makes the decision to reprimand or write a disciplinary report, he is playing a role in the Criminal Justice System (p. 316). A disciplinary committee also has a dilemma because he, or she must decide on what punishment should accrue towards the offender. This may be a temporary loss of privileges, or he may have his sentence increased (p. 316, para. 2). A correctional officer in uniform is an authority figure, which implies reasonable and rational control over the incarcerated. Moreover, he has the full range of coercive control over inmates; excessive force, loss of liberty, and his power may be defiant; taught through his subculture (other correctional officers ').

According to Thomson and Wadsworth (2005), many correctional officers have (deontological) exceptional knowledge and practice professionalism. While others tend to use (teleological) coercive, control against offenders gain advantage (pp. 317-318). A correctional officer must engage in ethical behavior. He must act professional; show respect for the incarcerated; be consistent; maintain integrity and honesty; and act impartial (p. 318).

The subculture of a correctional officer has similar aspects of police subculture. However, cover-ups and wrongdoing is apparent in both. According to Thomson and Wadsworth (2005), a correctional officer will travel to administer aid for another officer. Again, as police officers, correctional officers will not cooperate in an investigation if it pertains to a fellow officer (blue code). One would not embarrass another in front of an offender because this may jeopardize an officer 's effectiveness. A fellow officer does not indulge in a white hat. This pertains to showing emotions towards an inmate or his family. A main similarity between correctional and police officers is that both engage in



References: xia College of University of Phoenix. (2005). Chapter 11: Ethics in Crime and Justice, Ethics for Correctional Professions. Retrieved October 6, 2008, fromAxia College, Week Eight reading AXcess, ADJ 235- Ethics and the Administration of Justice

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    In many cases, the subculture of a unit can be so entrenched that actual department policy is never exercised. Department policy’s need to be explained and taught to every officer in the unit. Clear and decisive policy’s need to be drafted by all members of leadership. If an officer violates policy after they are explained and initiated, leadership needs to make an example out of them. There should be a zero tolerance policy on behalf of the commissioner’s office. In Robert Barton’s case, the police commissioner needs to ensure that an officer has the ability to file a complaint if he or she sees something wrong within a unit without the fear of excommunication.…

    • 878 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Respect, professional manner, consistency, integrity, honesty and non bias to the incarcerated is expected from a correctional officer. However, in the correctional subculture unethical behavior is evident. Correctional officers hold a status of authority and ethical dilemmas arise when one must choose a form of punishment for an offender. Some officers choose to display professionalism and hold knowledge that is exceptional. While other officers are taught within the subculture…

    • 265 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the prison documentary Predators at Prey, we learn about the daily challenges correctional officers face every day. The Lebanon Correctional Institution, located in Ohio, is a rehabilitation based prison that focuses on inmate reentry by offering various services. Just like most other prisons, correctional officers at this institution have to deal with individuals who have committed murder, sex crimes, and drug related crimes. As a result, stress is seen to manifest in different forms in an environment such as this one. Sanford Whitlow, a correctional officer of twelve years, made an interesting observation of correctional officers being unsung heroes who never receive credit for dealing with the worst people in society. Hence, the…

    • 298 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Guarding Sing Sing

    • 1228 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Some of the individuals in Conover's entering "class" of corrections trainees had always wanted to work in law enforcement. Others were ex-military, looking for a civilian job that they thought would reward structure and discipline. But most came looking for a steady job with good benefits. To get it, they were desperate enough to commute hours each way, or even to live apart from their families during the work week. Their job consists of long days locking and unlocking cells, moving prisoners to and from various locations while the prisoners beg, hassle and abuse them. Sometimes, the prisoners' requests are simple, but against the rules: an extra shower, some contraband cigarettes. Other times, they are appropriate, but unbelievably complicated: it can take months to get information about property lost in the transfer from one prison to another. Meanwhile, the orders officers give are ignored. Discipline -- even among the…

    • 1228 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Article Review cjus300

    • 617 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Our society has become corrupt at each level, and the police force is no exception. While most officers are committed to maintaining honor and integrity in their service to the public, there will be crime or misconduct among both female and male officers (Gottschalk, 2011). Police officers should be upholding the image of sacrifice, dignity, and overall competency (Gottschalk, 2011). Unfortunately, corruption can happen and add distrust amongst the public toward the public service of police officers. These actions of misconduct can include oppression, racial profiling, physical or emotional abuse of power, overall mistreatment of citizens or prisoners in their care, extortion, misuse of information or perjury, and overall manipulation (Gottschalk, 2011).…

    • 617 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    An aggressive prison behavioural subculture that focuses on masculinity and the assertion of dominance determines the experiences and behaviour of men in prison. An examination of the underlying factors that lead to heightened masculinity in an all-male prison reveals an atmosphere of hostility that subsequently influences the experiences of incarcerated males. This essay will discuss the applicability of Marxist theory in understanding and evaluating the experiences of men in prison. It will ultimately argue that the Marxist theory can aid in assessing the experiences of men in prison, despite a Marxist tendency to ignore the prison subculture reality and the ability of a hypermasculine prison subculture to detract from traditional justifications…

    • 1500 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    This paper discusses what society expects of the police, courts, corrections, and how they are realized and unfulfilled. In addition, the employees of the system, their goals, expectations, and temptations and the differences in their goals from society 's goals. Last, is to discuss the individuals that are charged by the system and their legitimate and non-legitimate needs.…

    • 2207 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Banks, Cynthia, Criminal Justice Ethics: Theory & Practice, 2012 Retrieved from Chapters 1 & 2…

    • 307 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The paradigm should be predicated upon the safety of the institution, which can be interpreted as ensuring that security functions are protected to prevent any threats to inmates, correctional staff, and the general public. Therefore, the correctional officer should ensure that their actions are in accordance with this paradigm, which is relative to interpretation in regard to any threats that are faced by the institution. In additional personal values and judgment will impact the decision-making process when there are no clear standards to guide the correctional officer's decision. In this particular scenario, which can result in different interpretations regarding the correct course of action to take.…

    • 776 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Police Subculture

    • 479 Words
    • 2 Pages

    I was assigned to read the article, How Police Justify the Use of Deadly Force were written by William B. Waegel, and the article was published 1984. In the article, Waegel mostly discussed how police would do in danger situations and how they feel when they shoot, and subculture in their workplace. The questions for this assignment—“How does the police officers’ workplace subculture help the police? What factors help create the officers’ workplace subculture?”…

    • 479 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Throughout the years, there has been one major dilemma that continues to hassle the administration whose sole purpose is to provide institutional sanctions, treatment programs, and services for managing criminal offenders. This dilemma is the high turnover rate of the Corrections Officers, whom agencies nation wide are losing at an extremely high rate. Recent statistics indicate that nearly half of all Corrections Academy graduates will have left their agency within a two-year period (“State questions high, “2004). This high turnover rate is causing a staff shortage, which is forcing agencies to put new officers on the job immediately while being untrained. Though the amount of Corrections Officers departing from their agencies continues to rise, the amount of inmates entering prisons remains the same. This of course can become a serious safety issue for the departments employing these new hires that are inadequately trained.…

    • 1487 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Limiting inmates’ access to money, which often plays a critical role in inmates’ underground economy.…

    • 262 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    References: Barret, C. & Hartley, S. (1996). Policy Review of the Department of Corrections ' Correctional Officer Staffing. State of Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability. Retrieved on October 16, 2007, from http://www.oppaga.state.fl.us/reports/pdf/9528rpt.pdf…

    • 734 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    References: Sumter, M. (2008, August). The correctional work force faces challenges in the 21st Century. Corrections Today, 70(4), 100.…

    • 1401 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Large organizations such as corrections, hire large number of newcomers at one time, the organizational support is a must not only as socialization but also for training (Farnese, Bello, Livi, Barbieri, & Gubbiotti, 2016). This socialization forms a strong bond between correctional officers that will cause serious problems within the organizational support if an officer is put in the position to tell on their fellow officers (Farnese, Bello, Livi, Barbieri, & Gubbiotti, 2016). Correctional officers often deal with inmates who have blatant disregard for the officers. Working day after day in this subculture of often dangerous inmates, the correctional officer’s personal and professional lives are effected (Micieli, n.d.). As a Deputy Warden of a maximum-security prison, I can attest to this statement from personal experience.…

    • 442 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays