Is a "Correctional Officer," by any Other Name, a "Screw?"

Abstract

A narrow definition of the correctional officer's role excludes important functions officers can serve in prison, including critical contributions they can make to inmate survival and mental health. Such functions are currently exercised by a significant minority of officers, whose contributions are neither recognized nor rewarded. Interview excerpts are presented in this paper to illustrate ways in which correctional officers exercise discretion to provide support to vulnerable inmates who need support. Such constructive exercise of discretion includes invoking non-custodial prison staff and circumventing resistances to change. Officers also form personal relationships with inmates which de-escalate conflict, ameliorate crises, and provide susceptible inmates with rehabilitative role models. Custodial goals and expanded services can be constructively combined, provided administrators provide a flexible climate. If they do not, sophisticated officers often become discouraged and regress to narrow, traditional definitions of their jobs. Prison administrators can contribute both to correctional officer job enrichment and to inmate welfare by locating correctional officer innovators and recognizing their role as self-motivated pioneers. Officers now ”fight the system" to advance goals which we verbally endorse but often sabotage in practice.