Changing Inmates Behavior By John Watkins

Throughout the history of correctional officers, they have play an essential role on the behavior of inmates. A Correctional officer job is “a person who is responsible for the supervision safety, and security of person’s in prison” (correctionalofficer.org). People should know that correctional officer are in danger when they are working in prisons because they are containing people who committed murders, robberies, or drug crimes. There has been studies that have examined correctional officer’s level of stress and attitudes towards inmates. (Sagepub). It has shown that correctional officers have a negative image towards inmates, which results to high stress levels. Correctional officer’s having to deal with these delinquents have shown that

In the article “Changing Inmates Behavior” by John Watkins, he discusses different ways a correctional officer can change an inmate’s behavior. It has been said that “criminal subculture is the most important dynamic in the correctional institution,” (Watkins). Some subculture have norms and values that enforce them to cause violence. For example, if an individual wants to join a gang, he must kill or rob another individual to earn their respect. In jails the individual who are locked up “come into an institution with very little prior experience of living in jails,” (Watkins). Others, are college students caught with drugs, and the regular, “the man who teaches the new people the ways of the subculture,” (Watkins). The new incomers would need to adapt to a new culture in jail. The purpose for correctional officers of changing inmate’s behaviors, they must “Have some contact with him, Build up his trust, and help him out in tough situations,” (Watkins). Though having the qualities of good communication with inmates and talking to them about certain conflicts in their life can help them changed their perspective on certain life goals, in which helps them have a positive

People who are in jails feel hostile, angry or aggressive because they are living with others in small cell. Many of these inmate cannot really expressed themselves, Watkins states, “These men are not allowed to express their anger at their captors’ yet their captors pick up the anger directed at them and return it openly,” (Watkins). It seems that some correctional officer are harsh to inmates, which makes inmates have a negative attitude. In order to change inmate’s attitudes, jails must provide counseling, so they can expressed themselves, in which can help them solve their problems that can lead to a more positive