Exam 12: Discretion and Dilemmas in Corrections

The rehabilitative era took place in the 1980s.

A correctional officer who smuggles contraband into the prison for an inmate is known as a "mule."

According to the most recent PREA survey, which of the following statements about officers having sexual relationships with inmates is true?

The prisoners' rights era of the 1970s gave way to the _________________ era of today, where courts are more apt to defer to prison officials.

You are a rookie correctional officer at a state prison. The day is coming to an end and the inmates are in their cells. As you make your rounds to count heads, one of the inmates asks you if you'd bring him a piece of dental floss. He says he has an uncooked grain of rice from dinner stuck in his back teeth and it is very painful. He only needs a small piece, surely not enough to pose any problem. According to prison rules, dental floss may only be used in the shower area, under observation. It is apparent to you that the inmate is in discomfort, and you know this inmate to be well-behaved. Another officer, a veteran, sees that you have retrieved dental floss and asks what you intend to do with it. After you explain, he warns that it is not a good idea. Sometimes a seemingly innocent request to break the rules turns out to just be the start, and once you have broken the rules, the inmate has something to hold over you. This can lead to more and more problematic requests and demands. This process is known as:

Explain how the concept of reciprocity can both benefit the corrections officer and also lead to trouble.

In the case of Hudson v. McMillan , the Supreme Court found that an injury inflicted upon an inmate only rises to the level of unconstitutionality if it can be considered a "serious" injury.

In the 1980s, victimization of inmates by correctional officers decreased but was followed by a rise in :

Sheriff's deputies are often assigned to serve as correctional officers in which type of facility?

The interdependence that may develop between correctional officers and inmates that is characterized by favoritism is called:

is Syke's term for when officers become indebted to inmates and return favors.

According to a Bureau of Justice Statistics report in 2005, more than 67 percent of released prisoners were re-arrested within three years of being released.

The term ____________________  refers to a situation today where courts are inclined to rule in favor of prison officials and give them freedom in decisions regarding running the prison.

You are an inmate at a state prison. The facility does not provide air conditioning in the cells and you find this to be unreasonable, considering the summers have been unusually hot. Your research in the prison law library is discouraging. You discover that a 1996 law called ________________  drastically curtailed the ability of inmates to file lawsuits.

You are a psychiatrist on call with a state prison.  You have been called in to examine an inmate who has been behaving erratically.  Prison officials are concerned that he poses a danger to himself and others.  They have confined him in a bare solitary cell to be sure he can't hurt himself, and have asked you to evaluate him. Immediately, you recognize an ethical dilemma.  Your duty as a psychiatrist requires you to act in the best interests of your patient, but at the same time, you recognize that the prison setting brings with it certain duties that favor institutional security over patient rights. In the end, the inmate refuses to consent to medication but you have determined that it is medically necessary for the inmate's safety and well-being that he be given the medication. According to the Supreme Court decision in Washington v. Harper , which of the following is correct?

Arguably, jail officers have a more difficult job than correctional officers in prisons, partly due to the fact that jails have more frequent visitations.

You are an inmate at a state prison. The facility does not provide air conditioning in the cells and you find this to be unreasonable, considering the summers have been unusually hot. Despite the discouragement, you proceed with your lawsuit anyway. Your position is that the law requires the institution to prove that a ________________  exists between prison policies or procedures and the correctional goal of safety and security.

List and describe some forms of corruption committed by correctional officers.

According to information provided in the text, children of inmates are          times more likely to be delinquent.

In some states, consensual sex between a correctional officer and an inmate is a felony because inmates are presumed not able to give full _____________.