NCJ Number
55238
Date Published
1977
Length
17 pages
Annotation
THE EFFECT OF CLASSIC BELGIAN PRISON STRUCTURE ON PRISON GUARDS' ROLE IS ANALYZED ON THE BASIS OF 38 WORK MANUALS PROVIDED FOR GUARDS AT WORK STATIONS.
Abstract
DIRECT STUDY OF RESEARCHERS IS PRECLUDED BY VARIOUS FEATURES OF THE PRISON SETTING. ANALYSIS OF THE MANUALS INDICATES NO MENTION OF THE OSTENSIBLE SHIFT IN THE GUARDS' ROLE FROM CONTROL TO REHABILITATION AND NO EXPLANATION FOR PROCEDURES AND RULES OR OVERVIEW OF THE SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM. STRUCTURALLY, THE CELL BLOCK CONSISTS OF SPOKES ARRANGED IN A CIRCLE WITH A CHIEF GUARD AT THE CENTER AND WITH DIVISION CHIEFS AND SECTION CHIEFS STATIONED HIERARCHICALLY ALONG THE SPOKES. AREAS WHERE INMATES MAY MINGLE FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OR EXERCISE ARE GUARDED HEAVILY, WHILE THE WORKSHOPS AND BATHROOMS ARE SUPERVISED BY RELATIVELY INDEPENDENT PERSONNEL NOT DIRECTLY UNDER THE COMMAND OF THE CHIEF GUARD; THE FUNCTION OF THE CELL BLOCK GUARDS (CONTROL) IS DETERMINED BY THEIR LOCATION, WHILE THAT OF THE OTHER GROUP (E.G., IN WORKSHOPS) IS DEPENDENT ON OTHER QUALIFICATIONS, SUCH AS UNDERSTANDING OF A PARTICULAR TYPE OF WORK. SECURITY INVOLVES IDENTITY CHECKS FOR ALL PERSONNEL AT THE ENTRANCE GATES AND SEPARATE BODY SEARCHES WITHIN CELL BLOCKS UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE GUARD HIERARCHY. IN THE CELL BLOCKS, INFORMATION MUST PASS THROUGH ALL THE VARIOUS STEPS OF THE HIERARCHY BEFORE REACHING THE DIRECTOR, BUT IN THE WORKSHOPS, IN THE ADMINISTRATION, AND IN THE INFIRMARY INFORMATION IS PASSED ON IN A MUCH MORE INFORMAL, NONHIERARCHICAL MANNER UP TO THE STAGES UNDER THE DIRECTOR. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT GUARDS ARE EXCLUDED FROM THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIPS WITH INMATES, FROM POWER IN DECISION MAKING, AND FROM OVERALL COMPREHENSION OF INSTITUTIONAL POLICIES BY AN ARCHITECTURAL ARRANGEMENT CONDUCIVE TO HIERARCHY AND CENTRALIZATION AND THAT NO SHIFT IN THE GUARDS' ROLE IS POSSIBLE UNTIL THE ARCHITECTURE IS MODIFIED. TWO ILLUSTRATIONS ARE APPENDED. --IN FRENCH. (KMD)