No matter what correctional officers do there will always be social orders in prisons. Riots, gang violence and inmate assaults are very real threats that officers must anticipate on a daily basis. Prisons can be a very disturbing environment and correctional officers must always be on their toes when it comes to managing violence in their prison yards. Causes of prison violence are numerous – from racial tensions to someone giving the wrong person the wrong type of look – and we will analyze what makes a prisoner tick. What are possible ways we can reduce prison violence? Does overcrowding affect and encourage violent behaviors? What can we do about gang control? These are all questions you will have an opportunity to discuss, dissect and bounce off each other in this course.
Correctional Programs and Services
You will also study the classification systems of prison and look at the most widely used treatment programs. These include self-help, academic, vocational and religious programs. Most prisons also include libraries, visitation, recreation and medical care. Although much has improved over the years, there is still much correctional officers can do to improve prison conditions and make it a more effective system.
This unit studies institutional security and violence and examines correctional programs and services offered in the prison system. We will analyze the causes of prison violence and suggestions on how to reduce it, and explore treatment programs.
* By the end of this course, you will have a better understanding that violence in prisons is the result of social, institutional and structural imperfections. Strategies proposed for reducing prison violence include improving prison conditions, prison administration, and placement and drug and behavior-oriented programs appear to be the most widely used programs in the current prison system.