NCJ Number
59118
Date Published
1978
Length
0 pages
Annotation
EXAMPLES OF SIGNIFICANT, UNUSUAL INMATE BEHAVIOR ARE ILLUSTRATED IN THIS FILM TO ENHANCE THE CORRECTIONAL OFFICER'S ABILITY TO SENSE WHAT IS NORMAL BEHAVIOR AS OPPOSED TO AN ATMOSPHERE OF UNREST.
Abstract
TO BE ABLE TO REPORT UNUSUAL BEHAVIOR AND TO ASSIST FELLOW WORKERS IN CREATING AN OVERALL PICTURE OF WHAT IS GOING ON WITHIN THE INMATE POPULATION, THE CORRECTIONAL OFFICER SHOULD NOTICE SIGNS OF UNUSUAL BEHAVIOR. IF THE NUMBER OF VISITORS IN THE VISITING ROOM IS LOW, INMATES MAY HAVE TOLD THEIR RELATIVES TO AVOID THE PRISON BECAUSE OF AN APPROACHING DISTURBANCE. IF A CORRECTIONAL OFFICER IS IGNORED BY A FORMERLY FRIENDLY INMATE OR DETAINED BY AN INMATE, A RIOT MAY BE IN THE OFFING. OFFICERS SHOULD STAY ALERT TO SUCH SIGNS AS AN ABNORMAL NUMBER OF INMATES PERFORMING CLEANING DUTIES (CLEANING TOOLS CAN BE WEAPONS), THE ABSENCE OF INMATES CLUSTERING AROUND AN OFFICER'S POST (INMATES AFRAID TO BE LABELLED AS 'STOOLIES'), AN INMATE POSTED AS LOOKOUT, INMATES IN GROUPS LARGER THAN NORMAL, RACIAL SEGREGATION AMONG INMATES, A DECREASE IN NORMAL INMATE ACTIVITY (FEW PARTICIPANTS IN A POPULAR BREAKFAST OR SPORTS EVENT), AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF CLOTHING WORN ON A WARM DAY (COVERING WEAPONS), GIDDY FEMALE INMATES (IN ANTICIPATION OF A DISTURBANCE), A LOWER THAN USUAL NOISE LEVEL, AND INMATES' ACCUMULATING MORE FOOD THAN USUAL. EACH OF THESE OCCURRENCES COULD BE CAUSED BY FACTORS HAVING NOTHING TO DO WITH PRISON DISORDERS. HOWEVER, BY STAYING ALERT TO THE UNUSUAL, THE CORRECTIONAL OFFICER IMPROVES HIS CHANCES OF PREVENTING THE DISTURBANCE FROM OCCURRING.