Legitimate power is the power that a correctional staff has over an inmate by virtue of their position as a correctional officer (Hartzell, 2015). This type of power gives a correctional officer the power to reasonably control an inmate’s normal day-to-day activities (Carlton & Garrett, 2008). Most inmates willingly submit to the officer’s legitimate power and this is the type of power most commonly exercised by correctional officers. Coercive power is the least used of the three types of power by correctional officers (Carlton & Garrett, 2008). This is power that is backed by the threat of force. Inmates know that coercive power is always present, but it seldom has to be used to gain compliance. Coercive power ranges from writing a disciplinary actions to putting hands on an inmate to gain compliance on the low end of the spectrum up to lethal force at the highest end. Lethal force is rarely used inside a prison’s walls because weapons are strictly prohibited, but weapons are commonly used to guard the perimeter of the facility (Carlton & Garrett, 2008). Reward power is the power of a correctional officer to reward an inmate for positive, desired behavior (Hartzell, 2015). This can be used to recognize outstanding behavior by an inmate. Where coercive power is uses force to gain compliance, …show more content…
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