TRAINING OF PRISON GUARDS IN THE PENITENTIARY MILIEU (FROM NOTES ON CRIMINOLOGY AND SOCIAL PATHOLOGY, 1977, N 14)

• NCJ Number: 55235
• Author(s): C DETROY
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 38 pages
• Corporate Author: Universite Catholique de Louvain
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: French
• Country: Belgium

Annotation

LITERATURE ON TRAINING FOR PRISON GUARDS IS SURVEYED WITH SPECIAL ATTENTION TO WHO EXAMINES THE PROBLEM AND WHY, AS WELL AS TO HOW THE PROBLEM IS STATED AND WHAT SOLUTIONS ARE RECOMMENDED.

Abstract

AUTHORS OF ARTICLES ON TRAINING FOR GUARDS ARE FOR THE MOST PART ADMINISTRATORS AND PRISON OFFICIALS, SOCIAL SCIENTISTS, AND EVEN PRISONERS AND EX-PRISONERS. MOST RECENT LITERATURE MENTIONS GUARDS' ROLE CONFLICT BETWEEN DISCIPLINE AND TREATMENT. ADMINISTRATORS FREQUENTLY STRESS THE NEED FOR GUARD TRAINING IN THE CONTEXT OF TREATMENT, A NOTION WHICH TOGETHER WITH THE EVOLUTION OF PRISON ORGANIZATION AND OF PRISONERS' RIGHTS HAS CHANGED THE METHODS AND POLICY FOR APPROACHING PRISONERS, AND THE EXPERTS POINT OUT THE MALAISE OF GUARDS WHICH IS PROMPTED BY A WIDE RANGE OF ISSUES CALLING THE SYSTEM INTO QUESTION. THE BASIC IMPORTANCE OF GUARDS WITHIN THE PRISON SYSTEM BECAUSE OF DAILY CONTACT WITH PRISONERS AND THE FACT THAT THEIR SOCIOECONOMIC ORIGINS ARE SIMILAR INTENSIFIES THE NEED FOR GUARD EDUCATION ON PRISON ADMINISTRATION AND POLICIES IN THE PARTICULAR COUNTRY, AS WELL AS FOR A CLEAR DEFINITION OF PRISON OBJECTIVES AND GUARDS' FUNCTIONS. THE CONCRETE NECESSITY OF MAINTAINING ORDER, THE INTRODUCTION OF SPECIALISTS WHO TAKE OVER MORE PRESTIGIOUS TREATMENT FUNCTIONS, AND THE GENERAL CONFUSION REGARDING DUTIES AMONG PRISON PERSONNEL LEAVE THE GUARD WITH A VERY UNSATIFACTORY ROLE. DIFFERENT TYPES OF GUARD EDUCATION ENVISAGED INCLUDE REORIENTATION AWAY FROM PARAMILITARY CONTROL TOWARDS COMMITMENT TO CREATIVE TREATMENT, WITH A SIMULTANEOUS PROVISION OF ADEQUATE REMUNERATION AND GOOD WORKING CONDITIONS; READJUSTMENT OF GUARDS' ATTITUDES; AND REORGANIZATION OF THE AUTHORITARIAN PRISON STRUCTURE. BASIC TRAINING ELEMENTS ARE KNOWLEDGE OF GENERAL AND SPECIFIC INSTITUTIONAL ORGANIZATION, OF WORK, OF PRACTICAL SUBJECTS RELATED TO SECURITY, AND OF PENAL LAW AND CRIMINOLOGY; BUT NO TRULY ORIGINAL INNOVATIONS ARE PROPOSED IN CURRENT LITERATURE. VARIOUS AUTHORS RECOMMEND THAT GUARD EDUCATION PROGRAMS BE CONDUCTED IN CONJUNCTION WITH PRISON WORK, THAT GROUP TEACHING METHODS BE EMPLOYED AND THAT THE BASIC INTERDISCIPLINARY BACKGROUND REQUIRED OF A GENERALIST BE PROVIDED. IT IS STRESSED THAT THE GUARDS THEMSELVES MUST BE INCLUDED IN THE PLANNING PROCESS AND THAT EDUCATION CANNOT BE A MIRACLE SOLUTION. A BIBLIOGRAPHY AND NOTES ARE SUPPLIED. -- IN FRENCH.