NCJ Number
89081
Date Published
1982
Length
13 pages
Annotation
Correctional guards can alleviate inmate stress by operating distribution services for food and clothing in an orderly fashion, acting as intermediaries in handling institutional problems, developing a personal caring relationship with their charges, and enforcing rules in a consistent manner.
Abstract
Correctional guards' tasks are complex and often reach well beyond the limits of formal assignments. Unlike treatment staff, guards react to inmates' requests and are solely concerned with their present state. By providing food, clothing, and medication and ensuring cleanliness and quiet, the guards prevent deprivation of basic services and satisfy prisoners' concerns for organizational stability. The officer helps inmates cope with a variety of institutional problems from referrals for counseling to checking a commissary account. These actions prevent the accumulation of minor annoyances that may lead to more serious adjustment problems. Officers often become aware of inmates' personal, family, or mental health problems and can provide feedback in a confidential fashion. Security and rule enforcement practices can reduce stress by creating a stable and safe environment and defining the boundaries within which freedom can be exercised. Officers can alert other staff about potential safety problems and meet inmates' needs for structure by striving for consistency in interpreting rules and communications. Officers help inmates because it alleviates their sense of powerlessness within an organization, counters boredom, and helps them cope with their own stress. The article provides 14 references.