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| Don't Play the Game: Avoiding Manipulation By Inmates |
| By Keith Martin, Assistant Editor |
| Published: 02/11/2002 |
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At any time, in any correctional facility, any staff member can be a target for manipulation at the hands of inmates. Often, because of the strict limits offenders are under, they will use the skills they honed on the outside to try and loosen those limits any way they can. Because of this, correctional personnel have to not only be aware of how an inmate acts towards them, but also of their own behavior. 'A lot of inmates spend their life [thinking of] how to manipulate people, from members of their own family to those in the department of corrections,' says James Topham, a former Criminal Investigator with the New Hampshire Department of Corrections. 'Not every inmate [is out to manipulate], but every inmate in the right set of circumstances can own any officer. It's a game, but it can be a dangerous game. A lot of officers can maybe stray from basic rules and then they are under the inmate's thumb and don't realize it.' If an inmate does win over and gain mental control of an officer to the point of the officer doing things for them, such as bringing in contraband or performing sexual acts, then one officer's discrepancies have a ripple effect on the environment around him or her, says Topham. 'If anything, every other officer is vulnerable,' he says. 'When there is that kind of control, you are endangering your fellow officers and the security of the facility. Once the string of manipulation ends and the use of the officer is made public, it makes everyone who wears a badge look bad and puts inmates one step higher. They can say 'look what we did - we won, you lost.'' Does Direct Supervision Foster Manipulation? Manipulation can happen in any correctional setting, but there is one system that previously drew attention as perhaps creating an atmosphere that is potentially fertile. According to Colonel David Parrish, Commander of the Detention Department for the Hillsborough County (Fl.) Sheriff's Office, the real issue with direct supervision is the proximity that this system places inmates and officers. While closer than traditional corrections, manipulation is just as easily accomplished. 'But the concern over the years has been about direct supervision and [how officers can become] too friendly and develop too close a relationship with inmates,' he says. 'It has and does happen, but it also happens in traditional correctional facilities.' Parrish says there was great concern in the 1980's when the county's jail systems moved toward direct supervision. With 90% of their jail space using this method currently, those concerns have been alleviated. 'Our fears and concerns that direct supervision would result in and increase in the escalation of inmate manipulation on staff have not turned out to be valid,' he says. Through the county's own experience, adds Parrish, direct supervision actually allows for an easier time of spotting manipulation. While other systems are generally more open, in a closer setting one can see what is going on and can bring a problem to management's attention much quicker. An inmate can see favoritism towards another inmate by an officer more easily in this setting, for example, and be more likely to tell someone right away. Training has also been a key method to prevent manipulation by inmates, says Parrish. Beyond training in the academy on behavior to expect from inmates, new recruits must complete five weeks of on-the-job training by working alongside senior training officers. 'During this time, sort of through osmosis, [new officers] learn what they can and can't do and what to watch for,' he says. 'They need the benefit of that officer explaining what can happen and what to watch for.' According to Parrish, about one-third of law enforcement deputies in the sheriff's office start out as detention deputies. Almost without exception, he says, those officers make better street deputies than those directly hired because of the experience they've gained in the jail. 'That education can't be duplicated,' he says. 'They have learned how to deal with inmates and the criminal element so they won't get smoke blown at them [on the street] because of what they've learned in the jail.' South Dakota's Con Tree At the South Dakota State Penitentiary, staff get firsthand knowledge about manipulative inmates and the consequences that follow from an innovative training exercise called 'The Con Tree.' The tree is actually a representation of an apple tree with pictures of inmates who are at high-risk or have a history of manipulating as the 'bad apples' on the tree and fallen leaves of the tree representing staff members who have lost their position as a result of an inmate's manipulation. There are currently 46 inmate 'apples' on the tree, each of which will be discussed as to how they manipulated staff and what to watch out for. 'We get conned everyday, but we want officers to be smart enough to realize it, come clean right now and stop the madness,' says Lieutenant Joe Miller of the prison's Special Security Office, who conducts the training. 'Hopefully we get to staff before they are embarrassed, hurt themselves, hurt the institution or someone else.' Every year during the 36-hour block of in-service training, staff at the penitentiary spend one hour looking at the tree and listening to cases of manipulation that have cost colleagues their jobs. According to Miller, no names are used of those who have been manipulated, both for protection and to not to embarrass them further. '[We want officers to walk away with] the understanding as to what people are capable of - using, abusing and throwing you away,' he says. 'It will cost you your health, your job, your family and your life, given half the chance.' Officers can get smooth-talked and not know it, he adds. For example, an inmate asks an officer to borrow a paper clip to keep papers in his cell together. Even though the officer knows that an inmate is not allowed to have it, he eventually breaks down and gives it to him. The next day the inmate asks the officer for something else, saying that yesterday he was given the paper clip. The officer figures to shut the inmate up, he'll give in. That is where the trouble starts, says Miller. 'Before you know it, [the officer] is bringing in things that you are not supposed to bring in and that puts us all in danger and we can't have that,' he says. 'Respect Your Environment' Topham has trained officers in both law enforcement and corrections, including four years as a lieutenant and training coordinator for the Merrimack County (NH) Department of Corrections. His advice to trainees over the years has remained the same: remember where you are. 'Remember the basics - be firm, fair, consistent and objective,' he says. 'One phrase all my students also learned was 'respect your environment' - the minute you don't it will bite [you].' Topham adds that one difficulty for corrections officers is that it's often a 'thankless' job, by which he means with high recidivism rates, officers never reap the rewards of their work. Because of this and that the job is looked down on by some, officers can dwell on that and inmates see that, feed on it and the cycle of manipulation starts. Often, inmates will use sympathy or empathy to manipulate an officer, trying to identify with their hardships and become a confidant instead of a con. 'If they can respect the basics and remember where they are everyday, they will be OK,' he says. Another thing Topham points out is that corrections constantly trains personnel on survival skills from firearms to self-defense. What is lacking, however, are survival skills for an officer's mindset. One of the most important aspects of 'respecting the environment,' is for officers to prepare themselves mentally for the day ahead of them. 'When they get up to go to work, they need something to turn their mindset on,' he says. 'For me, it was a type of music I listened to on the way to work, for others it is yoga or exercise - you need to get your mind prepared. You also need to be able to turn that off when you leave work. For me, it was changing the type of music I listened to that left work behind and let me be myself again. You can be as physically fit as possible, but you need that mental fitness.' Being a Professional With All Inmates In his position as commander of the detention department, Parrish spends two hours with all new detention deputies after the academy and before they begin on-the-job training. One of the things he stresses during this time is the relationship between officer and inmate not only in the jail, but once they leave custody as well. 'You will run into [former inmates on the streets],' he says. 'Treat them professionally - do not go out and socialize with them and do not go to each others' houses. There is a whole world full of regular people without [criminal] records - those are the ones to associate with.' For dealing with those currently behind bars, Parrish says professionalism is still the key. If an inmate comes to you with a secret or other information, he says, do not take it upon yourself to act on it, instead report it. He says that sometimes the line between detention deputy and law enforcement deputy can be blurred and that those in jail get the 'Wyatt Earp syndrome,' where they feel the need to protect society outside the jail. Do that, he warns, and you will lose your job instead of getting the reward or promotion some officers think is due to them. 'That's when they get their hooks in you bit by bit,' he says. 'If they come to you with information, don't be a hero and solve crimes because it may look like you are in it for yourself. Turn over that information to detectives or your supervisor.' Another way to be professional in a jail setting Parrish that discusses with new officers may sound simple, but it can help prevent problems - avoid first names. 'You are Deputy Jones - never Bob - you deserve that respect,' he says. 'The inmate is 'Mr.' or 'Ms.' - some of the best deputies refer to them this way. This commands respect without becoming overly familiar. How do you switch back to being the disciplinarian after you've become their 'good buddy Bob.'? You have to maintain professional standards, because when there is a break or breach, things start to fall apart.' Resources Lt. Joe Miller, Special Security Office, South Dakota State Penitentiary, (605) 367-5051 Colonel David Parrish, Commander, Detention Department, Hillsborough County (Fl.) Sheriff's Office, (813) 247-8310 James Topham, East Coast Training and Sales Coordinator, Jaycor Tactical Systems Inc., jtopham@pepperball.com |
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