NCJ Number
125195
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 52 Issue: 4 Dated: (July 1990) Pages: 64-66
Date Published
1990
Length
3 pages
Annotation
It is essential for correctional officers to act within the boundaries of law, ethics, good judgment, policies and accepted practices, as well as to be fully prepared to act wisely when using nondeadly force.
Abstract
When confronted with a situation where physical force may be necessary, there is little doubt that a correction officer must be able to respond appropriately to a threatening situation. An officer's failure to act properly may lead to the injury or death of an innocent person, the officer himself or the uncooperative inmate. On the other hand, excessive physical force may lead to civil lawsuits, possible dismissal from the department, and even criminal prosecution. The dramatic increase in the number of lawsuits involving the use of excessive force by correctional staff is evidence of the need for a set of strict guidelines. A survey was designed to analyze current policy; thirty states and the Federal Bureau of Prisons responded. Thirty agencies (97 percent) revealed that they currently had a written nondeadly force policy; only one agency had no policy and 70 percent of the respondents reported a regular policy review process. However, on the average, most policies had not been reviewed in the past two years. While many agencies are making efforts to provide guidelines on physical force, the study suggests that many policies were vague and lacked specific directions. 2 references.