STAFF and INMATE
RELATIONSHIPS
Maintaining
Professional
Boundaries
Staff and Inmate Relations /
Maintaining Professional
Boundaries
Learner Objectives:
1.
Identify and discuss the reasons why undue familiarity
is become a concern in the correctional setting.
2.
Explain and discuss the North Carolina Statute, which
makes sexual contact with inmates a felony, the policy
of Zero tolerance and examples of the behavior that
constitutes undue familiarity.
Learner Objectives
continued:
3.
Explain and discuss why Staff to Staff relations are
so critical in Staff to Inmate relationships.
4.
Define and discuss familiarity, undue familiarity and
inmate profile issues.
5.
Identify and discuss employee characteristics that
make staff vulnerable to inmate predators.
6.
Identify and discuss prevention strategies to assist
staff in dealing with undue familiarity.
North Carolina General
Statue
14-27.7 ( 1993 )
Intercourse consent is no defense: if a person having custody
of a victim of any age or a person, who is an agent or
employee of any person, or institution, whether such
institution is private, charitable or governmental, having
custody of a victim of any age engages in vaginal intercourse
or a sexual act with such victim, the defendant is guilty of a
Class E felony. ( The penalty for a class E felony shall be a
fine at the discretion of the court and imprisonment for a
term, depending on the amount and kind of prior offenses
and points accumulated by structured sentencing ).
Implications of Law and
Policy
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North Carolina General Statue 14-27.7
Consent is no Defense
Staff can be found personally liable
Staff may also be prosecuted under
misdemeanor statue
North Carolina Department of
Correction has a Zero Tolerance Policy
Staff to Staff Relationships:
Why so Critical?
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First Line of Defense
Role Model
Divide and Conquer games by
inmates
Staff interactions create the
culture of the prison
We must understand, respect
and appreciate our differences
in the workplace
Staff and Offender Relationships
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Familiarity-inmates habits, demeanor,
behavior, etc.
Undue Familiarity- Inmates know your
personal business.
Inmate Profile Issues
•Predators
•Appearance: well spoken, Like to comment on
your appearance, intelligent, good cons.
•Crimes: they have committed an assortment of
crimes, drugs, child or spousal abuse, rape, etc.
•Age: average mid-twenties to early thirties
•Motive: Gives them a sense of power, a game, SelfImage: See themselves different from other inmates,
•Snitch; they will give you up in a heart beat, to save
themselves or just for the heck of it.
Employee Characteristics Making
Staff Vulnerable to Inmate
Predators
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Low Self Esteem
Job dissatisfaction or poor working
relationships
Personal problems at home
Fear
Rescuer Syndrome
Isolation
Attention
PREVENTION
STRATEGIES
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Align yourself with other staff
and show respect for them.
No first name familiarity
Talk with other staff when you
see warning signs
Don’t do favors, like mailing
cards, getting money, calling
family, etc.
PREVENTION
STRATEGIES
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Recognize your level of personal
stress
Do not ignore inappropriate
inmate behavior
Self Risk Assessment
Rating
Rating:
Count the total number of “yes” answers.
1-7 You are at “low risk” for crossing boundaries
with offenders.
8-14 You are at “moderate risk” for crossing
boundaries with offenders.
15+ You are at “high risk” for crossing
boundaries with offenders.
SUMMARY
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1. Inmates attempt to engage staff in unduly familiar
relationships by using psychological methods to
manipulate them. That is, they will compliment them, agree
with the staff member's point of view, "help" them do their
job, "protect" them from other inmates, and promise
anything and everything to gain the staff member's trust.
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2. A large number of staff have knowledge that others are
engaged in unduly familiar relationships but do nothing to
intervene.
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3. Inmates are ALWAYS on the lookout for information they
can use to their benefit. They are always watching and
listening.
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4. The inmate has nothing to lose and everything to gain.
The staff member has everything to lose and nothing to
gain.
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5. All staff members should be extremely leery when they
receive compliments from inmates and should ask
themselves is the inmate trying to set them up.
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6. Supervisors should pay attention to their subordinate's
behavior and counsel them if they notice they are spending
inordinate amounts of time with particular inmates.
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7. If you find yourself in a relationship with an inmate that
makes you uncomfortable, immediately discuss the
situation with your supervisor.
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8. Discussing personal information with an inmate is
ALWAYS a risky proposition and should be prevented.
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9. Unduly familiar relationships among staff and inmates
has serious consequences not only for the staff involved
but also for the entire institution. For this reason, when
you believe a staff member may be in this situation, you
should speak with your supervisor about it.
10. Undue familiarity will not be tolerated by the DOC and
can result in possible disciplinary penalties up to and
including dismissal.
 11.
A staff member that has a
relationship of a sexual nature with
an inmate is committing a class E
felony.
 YOU
ARE A SEX OFFENDER!!!!!