Inmate Manipulation
Every hour of every day, Correctional Officers and prison staff are bombarded with manipulation attempts from an inmate population which greatly outnumber them. Some have questioned making this information public, but with so many books about this subject already on the market, I see no good reason not to post it. Here are a few suggestions to help Correctional Officers combat manipulation attempts by inmates.
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Be part of the Correctional team
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Be suspicious
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Follow rules and procedures
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Monitor remarks, gestures and actions
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Communicate with supervisors/fellow workers when you suspect a problem
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Don't be afraid to talk
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Know your job and perform it properly
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Learn about other employees' professions
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Document incidents
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Learn to say "no" and mean it
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Never give or take anything from an inmate that is not job related
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Address inmates by their correct name
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Never discuss other staff with inmates
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Never let your personal feeling become part of any conversation
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Never give an inmate authority over another inmate
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Be cautious
How many times have you heard an inmate say, "You are the only officer that enforces that rule." Well, welcome to the club. Virtually every officer in the department has heard that one many, many times. Some time in your service, you feel that perhaps you are the only one doing the right thing, fighting the good fight, and being the professional that all the employment pamphlets talk about.
Not true. We're out there, with you, doing the right thing too. There are a lot more inmates trying to manipulate you than are trying to do their time and get on with their lives. It's the game. They win, but never lose. They just go on to the next game.
Sometimes you may lose sight of the worth of your efforts, but rest assured, there are officers all over Florida and the rest of the United States of America that know what you are doing and that you are doing it very well. We know it by the inmate that comes from your facility. This is one of those thankless jobs that is done with little recognition, much less approval. Well, I'm here to say "You're doing a good job. Keep up the good work. Continue the good fight. Keep on doing the right thing even if you think you are only one, because you're not. Chin up, chest out, shoulders squared, and eyes front." The next time you hear, "You're the only officer that enforces that rule," a prompt reply of "Yes, I do."
Not true. We're out there, with you, doing the right thing too. There are a lot more inmates trying to manipulate you than are trying to do their time and get on with their lives. It's the game. They win, but never lose. They just go on to the next game.
Sometimes you may lose sight of the worth of your efforts, but rest assured, there are officers all over Florida and the rest of the United States of America that know what you are doing and that you are doing it very well. We know it by the inmate that comes from your facility. This is one of those thankless jobs that is done with little recognition, much less approval. Well, I'm here to say "You're doing a good job. Keep up the good work. Continue the good fight. Keep on doing the right thing even if you think you are only one, because you're not. Chin up, chest out, shoulders squared, and eyes front." The next time you hear, "You're the only officer that enforces that rule," a prompt reply of "Yes, I do."
"You are the Only Officer that Enforces that Rule."
by CO Donald Milligan, Bartow Community Correctional Center
Characteristics of a Staff Victim
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New employee
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Overly trusting or naive
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Overly familiar
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Not confident
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Complacent
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Mentally stressed
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Low self-esteem
Inmate Manipulation
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Inmate Manipulation
TIPS ON AVOIDING INMATE MANIPULATION
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My focus in this article will be on the everyday emotions that most of us experience in our personal lives which inmates offten use for setting up staff for manipulation. They are:
·Identifying with an inmate’s beliefs
·Feeling obligated to an inmate
·Sympathy for an inmate.
It never ceases to amaze and disappoint me that fine and outstanding men and women are terminated from employment and have their records tarnished because they allowed themselves to succumb to inmate manipulation. I've seen some of the toughest men and women escorted off the compound in cuffs for bringing in drugs. I've seen staff on the verge of retirement caught in a relationship with an inmate in his area. As retirement approached, the thought of not seeing the inmate caused him to get careless. He was caught because of the love letters he wrote.
Identifying with an inmate happens when you share your beliefs, likes and dislikes. The inmate reciprocates your ideas as being favorable and a bond in formed. It happens every time you meet someone and form a relationship in your personal life. It’s completely natural and without it you would be socially inept.
Feeling obligated can happen when an inmate, especially if it is an inmate you identify with, does a favor for you. For example, an inmate may work very hard to clean his area and other areas not assigned to him. His hard work saves you a lot of trouble and causes your supervisor to look upon you favorably. Again, feeling obligated to someone who does a favor for you is natural. Its part of the give-and-take cycle that goes on in your personal relationships. Imagine that your family and friends help you when you’re in need, but on the other hand, you never do the same for them. You wouldn't have many friends, and your family life would be dysfunctional at best.
Having sympathy can occur when an inmate supposedly receives tragic news. Something like, "My wife just delivered our first child stillborn," or "My mother just died and she was the only person to ever care for me." If a friend told you this you would of course be concerned and go out of your way to help.
Hopefully you're starting to get the picture that what is necessary to carry on normal relationships in the free world can be used against you in a prison environment. All too often Correctional Officers minimize the importance of guarding against inmate manipulating. They describe those that are manipulated as being weak or just too stupid to work in a prison. Or, I hear something like, "its just common sense that the inmate is trying to get you to do something wrong." Well, common sense is derived from common experiences. With such a diverse working environment and a diverse inmate population, common sense got tossed out the window a long time ago.
Now this post isn't meant to be a comprehensive assessment of the inmate manipulation process, but simply a concise description of some of the emotions involved that can be used against correctional staff. For a thorough examination of the manipulation and set up process read Bud Allen's Games Criminals Play: How You Can Profit by Knowing Them . This is the classic book that everyone in corrections should own and read.
·Identifying with an inmate’s beliefs
·Feeling obligated to an inmate
·Sympathy for an inmate.
It never ceases to amaze and disappoint me that fine and outstanding men and women are terminated from employment and have their records tarnished because they allowed themselves to succumb to inmate manipulation. I've seen some of the toughest men and women escorted off the compound in cuffs for bringing in drugs. I've seen staff on the verge of retirement caught in a relationship with an inmate in his area. As retirement approached, the thought of not seeing the inmate caused him to get careless. He was caught because of the love letters he wrote.
Identifying with an inmate happens when you share your beliefs, likes and dislikes. The inmate reciprocates your ideas as being favorable and a bond in formed. It happens every time you meet someone and form a relationship in your personal life. It’s completely natural and without it you would be socially inept.
Feeling obligated can happen when an inmate, especially if it is an inmate you identify with, does a favor for you. For example, an inmate may work very hard to clean his area and other areas not assigned to him. His hard work saves you a lot of trouble and causes your supervisor to look upon you favorably. Again, feeling obligated to someone who does a favor for you is natural. Its part of the give-and-take cycle that goes on in your personal relationships. Imagine that your family and friends help you when you’re in need, but on the other hand, you never do the same for them. You wouldn't have many friends, and your family life would be dysfunctional at best.
Having sympathy can occur when an inmate supposedly receives tragic news. Something like, "My wife just delivered our first child stillborn," or "My mother just died and she was the only person to ever care for me." If a friend told you this you would of course be concerned and go out of your way to help.
Hopefully you're starting to get the picture that what is necessary to carry on normal relationships in the free world can be used against you in a prison environment. All too often Correctional Officers minimize the importance of guarding against inmate manipulating. They describe those that are manipulated as being weak or just too stupid to work in a prison. Or, I hear something like, "its just common sense that the inmate is trying to get you to do something wrong." Well, common sense is derived from common experiences. With such a diverse working environment and a diverse inmate population, common sense got tossed out the window a long time ago.
Now this post isn't meant to be a comprehensive assessment of the inmate manipulation process, but simply a concise description of some of the emotions involved that can be used against correctional staff. For a thorough examination of the manipulation and set up process read Bud Allen's Games Criminals Play: How You Can Profit by Knowing Them . This is the classic book that everyone in corrections should own and read.
The Manipulation of Correctional Staff by Inmates
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Contact CR
