Case Study in a Correctional Facility

This case study focuses on a scenario describing the experience of Leon Smith, a fictional rookie correctional officer (CO) in a large jail in a Midwestern industrial city. Smith observed that the inmates in the jail were always talking about their criminal successes, and that many of them seemed eager (in a surreptitious way) to share intelligence information with CO’s. Rookie Smith was excited by the possibility of collecting intelligence in the jail and passing this on to law enforcement. Smith had ambitions of one day working in homicide investigations, and thought that sharing intelligence from the jail would both further his ambition, as well as a noble goal of helping law enforcement apprehend criminals and perhaps even terrorists. Smith became disillusioned, however, as he began to observe that his fellow COs were well aware of the ready availability of the information, but were not interested in much of what occurred outside of their immediate work sphere. In fact, they seemed more interested in their own particular shift or what went on inside of the jail. Smith learned more about his peers when speaking with his Shift Sergeant Griswold, who expressed the point of view that all inmates are liars. Griswold also stated that CO’s are not cops and that law enforcement would not want to hear from them, even if it was useful information. Griswold stressed this point by saying his Lieutenant would say the same thing if he brought intelligence to him. This scenario provides examples of barriers to communication, the strength of informal organizational socialization, a possible good application of linking pins to share information across work units, and opportunity to improve communication . Each will be discuss...

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...covers” for a meeting to disclose intelligence. Fro incentives and motivation , we will need to develop protocols for working with the DA to reduce time served based upon inmate participation in the intelligence cycle. If reduction in time served is not possible, there may be other perks which can be provided to the inmate for their cooperation.

References

Conger, J. A. (1998). The necessary art of persuasion. Harvard Business Review,76 (3) , 85-95.

Stojkovic, S., Kalinich, D., & Klofas, J. (2008). Criminal Justice Organizations: Administration and Management (4th edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/ Thomson Learning, Inc.

Tannen, D. (1995). The power of talk: Who gets heard and why. Harvard Business Review, 73 (5), 138-148.

Toch, H. (1978). Is a “correctional officer”, by any other name, a “screw”? Criminal Justice Review, 3, 19-35.