AMELIORATING PRISON STRESS - SOME HELPING ROLES FOR CUSTODIAL PERSONNEL

• NCJ Number: 43385
• Journal: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CRIMINOLOGY AND PENOLOGY Volume: 5 Issue: 3 Dated: (AUGUST 1977) Pages: 263-273
• Author(s): R JOHNSON
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 11 pages
• Corporate Author: Academic Press, Inc
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: AN EARLIER VERSION OF THIS PAPER WAS PRESENTED AT THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE NORTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE EDUCATORS, FALL 1975

Annotation

AN EXPLORATORY SURVEY OF THE HELPING POTENTIAL OF PRISON STAFF FOUND SOME PRISON GUARDS ARE ABLE TO PLAY COMBINED CUSTODIAL AND HELPING ROLES, BUT THEIR EFFECTIVENESS IS LIMITED BECAUSE THEY RECEIVE LITTLE PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT.

Abstract

SAMPLES OF CUSTODIAL PERSONNEL, PRIMARILY HOUSING BLOCK GUARDS, WERE INTERVIEWED IN THREE NEW YORK MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISONS DURING 1975-76. ALL WERE AMONG THE MOST EXPERIENCED PERSONNEL. WIDE DISPARITY WAS NOTED IN THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF CRISIS IN THEIR UNITS; FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OFFICER REPORTED THAT ALL OF THE MEN IN HIS UNIT EXPERIENCED PERSONAL CRISES OVER THE PRECEDING 10 MONTHS, WHILE ANOTHER OFFICER ON THE SAME SHIFT REPORTED AN INCIDENCE OF 10 PERCENT. PERSONNEL WHO TRIED TO HELP REPORTED A VARIETY OF RESPONSES RANGING FROM SIMPLE INQUIRY TO INFORMAL COUNSELING, REFERRAL, AND FOLLOWUP. OTHER PERSONNEL REPORTED NO INVOLVEMENT AND NO INTEREST IN SUCH INVOLVEMENT, USUALLY CLAIMING 'THAT IS NOT MY JOB.' GUARDS WHO PLAY BOTH CUSTODIAL AND HELPING ROLES TEND TO SEE PRISONS AS STRESSFUL PLACES. THEY CLAIM THAT THEIR PROXIMITY TO INMATES ALLOWS THEM TO ACTIVELY ASSIST IN MANAGEMENT OF THIS STRESS. THEY DEPICT THEMSELVES AS UNIQUELY VALUABLE CRISIS OBSERVERS AND POTENTIAL SOURCES OF IMMEDIATE AID OR REFERRAL FOR SUSCEPTIBLE MEN. SOME FEEL THEIR LACK OF TRAINING COMBINED WITH THE AUTHORITY SYMBOLS OF THEIR JOB HINDER THEIR EFFORTS. OTHERS FIND THAT EFFORTS TO HELP ARE BLOCKED BY UNRESPONSIVE PRISON OFFICIALS. LINKING GUARDS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN CRISIS INTERVENTION WITH SELECTED TREATMENT STAFF MAY ALLOW THE GUARDS TO COUNSEL MORE EFFECTIVELY AND WILL ALSO ALERT STAFF TO EARLY DANGER SIGNALS. THIS WILL INCREASE THE AVAILABILITY OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS. DEVELOPING SUCH NETWORKS IS NOT SIMPLE, BUT IF PRISONS ARE TO DEVELOP THERAPEUTIC IMPACT, OR AT LEAST REDUCE LEVELS OF STRESS, EFFORTS SUCH AS THIS MUST BE MADE TO HELP CORRECTIONAL PERSONNEL BECOME RESPONSIVE TO INMATE NEEDS.