Are Prison Officers Peacekeepers or Caretakers of Punishment - Essay Example

Are prison officers ‘peacekeepers’ or ‘caretakers of punishment’? What are the implications for control and order in prison? Prisons perform multipleroles; the main role being that of punishing the offenders by depriving them of their freedom. Most people in general have a very negative opinion of the prisons; for them prison are places where criminals; the most undesirable members of the society are housed. Prisons are also thought to be the training center of crime by the public who also believe that the time spent in prisons makes the prisoners more hard core criminals than ever (The role and function of prison 2000). However, another aspect is that prisons are also rehabilitation centers; it is a place where the offenders are mentored and steered away from crime so that they can become law abiding citizens. It is a place to prepare the prisoners to meet the challenges of the outside world upon their release. The person responsible for training the prisoners and mentoring and transforming them into good citizens is known as the prison officer (The role and function of prison 2000). The job of a prison officer is quite complicated and involves risks as well as rewards. The present day conditions of the prisons in the UK have made this complex job even more challenging. Many controversies associated with the prisons in UK, deaths in the custody and suicide attempts have made matters worse. The frequent incidents of bullying and assaulting of prisoners by prison officers have added insult to injury (Dawkins 2008). Condemning such practices and other flaws in the prison system, Dawkins a former prison officer highlighted the job of prison officers. In Dawkins (2008) opinion the most important job a police officer performs is to make the prisoners under their care, realize their wrong doings and help them amend their ways. The Negative Portrayal of Prison Officers Prison officers are unfortunately portrayed negatively in media and in literature. They are shown as violent individuals who are corrupt as well. They are portrayed as uniformed men whose daily rituals are beating and torturing the prisoners. It is portrayed that prison officers can commit these felonies and escape without facing any consequences. However, this is not always correct as they are the upholders of law and never at any point are above the law (Champion & Champion Jr. 2011, p. 105). Nevertheless, there are some aggressive kind of prison officers who take undue advantage of their power and authority and this is just because of it all of the prison officers are referred to negatively. It is true that not all prison officers are tolerant and amiable individuals; there are some officers who behave rather atrociously with the prisoners. They prey on the weak prisoners, assault them in unprovoked attacks and hence increase the resentment of the offender towards the law in general and the prison staff in particular (Dawkins 2008). Because of the negative and malicious attitude of such prison officers there is an environment of bitterness, hatred and malice in the prisons and the prisoners carry these feelings when they leave the prison. Types of Prison Officers The response and attitude of the prison officers vary, for example, some prison officers especially the senior ones may offer little emotional support but are reliable and trustworthy individuals who respond to the needs of the prisoners. These prison officers used their legitimate power and personal authority to maintain control and order in the prisons (Liebling 2000); however they are at all times conscious of the prisoners’ needs and respond accordingly. Some prison officers believe in operating by the book and use the formal way of enforcing rules. Though they prefer to follow the given set of principles, they are not over eager to use the force on prisoners. Such prison officers are willing to help the prisoners but keep a distance and are respected by the prisoners. Some prison officers, particularly the younger ones, prefer to get friendly with the prisoners, instead of using force. They rely on their verbal skills and believe that they would succeed more as peacekeepers with mutual understanding than with mutual respect (House of Commons Justice Committee 2009). Another group of prison officers is the “damaged group”. The prison officers belonging to this group showed little involvement and interest in caring for the prisoners and remained aloof. Damaged prison officers are aggressive towards prisoners. In the twelfth repost of the session 2008-9, it is stated that the damaged prison officers see themselves as the neglected members of the criminal justice system (House of Commons Justice Committee 2009, p. 109). They do not enjoy the public profile of the prosecutors, judges or members of the police force. In UK, some prison officers do not even mention the job they perform fearing the dislike of those around them (House of Commons Justice Committee 2009). The lack of confidence, absence of job satisfaction and low self esteem causes depression and a frustration among the prison officers which they at times let out on the prisoners under their care. Prison Officers as Peacekeepers Liebling, Price and Schefer (2011) have defined a good prison officer as a highly capable person who can take swift and sound decisions under pressure. They possess excellent inter-personal skills. These skills are that of a counselor and a mentor and are not taught in textbooks; rather they are acquired through personal experiences (Champion & Champion Jr. 2011). The leadership qualities and the personality required in a prison officer are inherent and these qualities cannot be achieved academically. A good prison officer sees that there is order and tranquility in the prison and a feeling of fairness and decency prevails. Elaborating further Liebling, Price and Schefer (2011) states that good relationship between the prisoners and prison officers motivate a prisoner to give up crime. As a peacekeeper, the prison officer tries to diffuse the tension and mistrust between the prisoners and the prison staff. However diffusing tension, mistrust and resentment among prisoners is not easy especially when the prison officers have to perform the unpleasant tasks of dealing with abnormal behavior of prisoners and their disgruntled relatives (Tait 2008). The prison officer succeeds as a peacekeeper when he gets the desirable results without using force; however the peacekeeper may also use the power designated to him when required (Liebling, Price and Schefer 2011, p. 205). By maintaining a good relationship with the prisoners, a good prison officer can effectively sustain peace in the prison. The prison officers are assigned the difficult duty of reforming prisoners. From a prisoners point of view caring and thoughtful interactions with prison officers were those which were based on compassion, respect and fair treatment (Tait 2009, p. 2). These interactions developed trust and the prisoners could discuss their emotional and practical problems. The prison officers could lessen the feelings of despair, worthlessness and powerlessness among prisoners. Care fostered obedience and a sense of well-being among prisoners and instilled hope (Tait 2009, p. 2). Prison Officers as caretakers of Punishment Prison officers are also assigned the roles of caretakers of punishments; they have to punish first as a requirement of their duties. Caretakers of Punishment prison officers make use of their skills and personal authority to maintain a peaceful environment in the prison. The prison officer can punish any prisoner who repeatedly breaks the rules of the prison. The punishment is mostly in the form of hard labour or close confinement (Mayhew and Binny 1862, p. 501). Although the prisoners can make complaints against their prison officers but it is not often done because they fear hostility (Marin 1983, p. 319). As per prison rules those prisoners who make false complains are punished. For this reason prisoners prefer not to make complaints at all as they are not sure how their grievances will be handled. The role of a peacekeeper is more important than that of a caretaker of punishment. Most people are of the opinion that punishing the prisoners is unjust as taking away one’s freedom is a punishment itself. The main purpose for which an offender is sent to prison is to reform him/her. Only a person who is willing to change himself for the better can be reformed. As a peacekeeper the prison officer can bring about this change. From a prisoners point of view caring and thoughtful interactions with prison officers are those which are based on compassion, respect and fair treatment (Tait 2009, p. 2). These interactions develop trust and the prisoners can discuss their emotional and practical problems. The prison officers can lessen the feelings of despair, worthlessness and powerlessness among prisoners. Care fosters obedience and a sense of well-being among prisoners and instills hope (Tait 2009, p. 2). These positive feelings do not emerge if the prisoner is punished and forced to do things. A prisoner may behave himself in the prison for the fear of punishment but that will not stop him from committing crime once he is released. The prison officer as a peacekeeper is more successful in reforming an offender because there are chances that he will not commit crime again. Control and Order in the Prison According to the Prison Service Order issued by HM Prison Service (2006) “it is the responsibility of the prison to keep all those who live, work and visit the prison safe”. In the same document it is mentioned that the implication of control and order in the prison depends upon many factors with population in the prison being the main one (Order No.1810). The population of the prisons in the UK is growing steadily; inmates keep returning to the prisons and it seems that the prison officers have failed in their duty to reform the prisoners. Tom Whitehead in his article has cited the congestion in the prisons as a major obstacle in the rehabilitation of the offenders (Whitehead 2009). This also disturbs the implementation of control and order in the prisons. In order to avoid escapes and riots, there must be absolute control in the prisons. Loss of control can have serious consequences and depict the failure of the task (Thomas 1972, p. 7) which in the case of the prisons is its failure to contain the prisoners and a failure to reform them. In case of riots, the protesting inmates are controlled bodily and the prison officer uses a baton; other techniques like the canvas jacket and the locked ward are now rarity (Thomas 1972, p. 7). To prevent the prisoners from escaping closed circuit TVs and patrol dogs are used to make the prisons escape proof (Thomas 1972). The Prison Service Order also suggests the use of other visual aids besides the closed circuit TVs, secure internal gates and fencing (HM Prison Service 2006). The Prison Service Order also states that the prison staff is responsible for the medical and healthcare needs of the prisoners. The responsibility includes the prevention and control of diseases both physical and mental. In the past five years the number of suicide deaths in the prisons has risen; Stoddard reported that the number of “self-inflicted deaths” in the prisons was 60 in 2009 while 58 deaths were recorded in 2010 (Stoddard 2010). Anne Owers the Chief Inspector Prisons said that over crowding in jails was largely responsible for these self inflicted deaths as the prison officers had too many prisoners to look after which affected their performance (Ryan 2005). The prison officer finds himself in a very complicated and difficult situation when it comes to restoring control and order in the prisons. If an officer uses force, he is accused of bullying the prisoners and generating resentment. Too much leniency and relaxation on the other hand has negative effects too (Dawkins 2008). Dawkins is also of the view that most prisoners are from under privileged background and by giving them facilities like televisions and computer games in the prison only encourages them to remain in the prison or commit a crime to return again when released. The increase in the number of crimes committed by the ethnic minorities means more minority members in the prisons which has made the job of the prison officer more challenging as he/she now not only has to deal with prisoners coming from different regions and religions but also prevent a conflict between the white inmates and the minority inmates (Philips 2007). Also as the prison population and the “variety” continue to rise steadily, the welfare responsibilities of the prison officers have increased (Tait 2008). Hence in order to implement control and order in prisons it is very important to keep prison population under control. Furthermore, specific remedies are to be jotted down in order to maintain order and control in prisons a few of which are also discussed in the next section. Conclusions and Recommendations In the present age the prison is defined as the place which houses the offenders and reforms them so that when they are released they can behave as useful members of the society. The prison officer plays the most important role in the prison; sadly this job is also the most unappreciated and neglected one. Besides being unappreciated and neglected the prison officer is also portrayed as a sadist who tortures the prisoners. Though there are some black sheep among the prison officers, the picture depicted in the media is far from the truth. In actual there are prison officers who are committed to maintain a friendly atmosphere in the prisons as well as reform the offenders. The prisons in the UK are full to capacity with the inmate population reaching the 88,179 figure in December (O’Hara 2011). O’Hara also states that out of 130 prisons in England and Wales, 82 are overpopulated (O’Hara 2011). The prison officers in the UK not only have more inmates to deal with but the diversity in population and an increasing number of immigrants means that the offenders are of different ethnicity. Under such circumstances the prison officers have to perform the difficult task of peacekeeping in the prison. Peacekeeping involves friendly relations between prisoners and the prison staff and the rehabilitation of prisoners so that they can stay away from crime when they are released. Instead of providing “luxuries” to the prisoners not available to them in the outside free world, the prison authorities should hold anger management courses in which the prisoners can vent out their anger and frustration; the main reasons for which most crimes are committed. In order to discourage the prisoners especially young offenders from committing crimes again, they need to be managed intelligently and provided with positive targets during their stay in the prison. This strategy will hopefully bring the crime rate down and keep many people especially the young people out of prisons. In this way the problem of overcrowding in prisons will be solved and the prison officers will be able to perform their duties better. The use of force is necessary for maintaining control and order in the prisons; however the authority exercised by the prison officers must be within the legitimate boundaries. References Champion, J L & Champion Jr. J L 2011, The Fading Voices of Alcatraz, Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse. Dawkins, J 2008, Inside the UK Prison Service, retrieved on 13 Feb, 2012, HM Prison Service 2006, Maintaining Orders in Prison: Order No. 1810, Prison Service Order, Order ref 237. House of Commons Justice Committee 2009, Role of the Prison Officer, Twelfth Report of Session 2008–09, London: The Stationery Office Limited. Liebling, A 2000, Prison officers, policing and the use of discretion, Theoretical Criminology, 4 (3), pp. 333–357 Liebling, A, Price, D & Schefer, G 2011, The Prison Officer, New York: Willan Publishing. Marin B. 1983, Inside justice: a comparative analysis of practices and procedures for the determination of offenses against discipline in prisons of Britain and the United States, Cranbury, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press. Mayhew H. & Binny J. 1862, The Criminal Prisons of London, and Scenes of Prison Life, London: Griffin, Bohn, and company. O’Hara, M 2011, Call to Cut Overcrowding Burden on the Prisons, The Guardian, December 14, retrieved on 13 Feb, 2012, Phillips, C 2007, ‘Ethnicity, Identity and Community Cohesion in Prisons’, in Wetherell, M, Lafleche, M & Berkeley, R (eds.), Identity, ethnic diversity and community cohesion, London: SAGE Publications Ltd., pp. 75-86. 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