NCJ Number
55240
Date Published
1977
Length
3 pages
Annotation
CONCLUSIONS REACHED IN A COLLECTION OF SEVEN CONFERENCE PAPERS ON TRAINING OF PRISON GUARDS IN BELGIUM ARE SUMMARIZED.
Abstract
IT IS ARGUED THAT AFTER READING STUDIES OF PRISON GUARDS' POSITION MANY PRACTICAL CRIMINOLOGISTS BECOME SCEPTICAL ABOUT THE VALUE OF SCIENCE AND RESEARCH BECAUSE LEGAL STUDIES TEND TO BE BASED ON JURIDICAL IDEALISM RATHER THAN SCIENTIFIC METHODS. THE COLLECTION OF ARTICLES IN QUESTION SHOWS THAT PENITENTIARIES REFORMED AS ENVISAGED BY PRISON ADMINISTRATORS HAVE ALIENATED GUARDS AND CAUSED SERIOUS ROLE CONFLICTS. INTRODUCTION OF SPECIALIZED PERSONNEL FOR TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION PROGRAMS MAKES GUARDS, WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYDAY SECURITY FUNCTIONS, FEEL THAT THEY HAVE BEEN DEMOTED. IMPROVEMENTS CAN BE ACHIEVED BY EXPANDING THE ROLE OF PRISON GUARDS AND BY PROMOTING DEVELOPMENT OF GENERALISTS RATHER THAN SPECIALISTS ON ONE SIDE AND LABORERS ON THE OTHER. IN THE STUDIES TWO TRAINING MODELS ARE PROPOSED, A LINEAR MODEL MOVING FROM NEW POLICY TO TRAINING DESIGNED TO BRING ABOUT INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE AND A CIRCULAR MODEL INVOLVING INTEGRATION OF CUSTODIAL PERSONNEL WHICH THEN LEADS TO INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE, THEN TRAINING, AND FINALLY, NEW POLICY. THE FIRST OF THESE IS VERTICAL, DEDUCTIVE, AND INSPIRED BY JURIDICAL IDEALISM, WHILE THE SECOND, AND PREFERABLE, ALTERNATIVE TENDS TO PROMOTE HORIZONTAL RELATIONSHIPS WHICH ARE GEARED TO THE DAILY LIVING SITUATION OF EACH INDIVIDUAL INSTITUTION. AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE TWO MODEL TYPES IS FURNISHED. --IN FRENCH.