Describe Kauffman’s (1988) prison guard subculture and its main tenets.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Kauffman notes that prison guards have a distinct and identifiable subculture that separates them from other professions. The central norms of this subculture dictate how they proceed with the daily performance of their duties. The subculture consists of the following tenets: (1) Always go to the aid of an officer in distress. This is the foundation for cohesion among custodial staff. This tenet also can, in times of emergency, provide justification for violating norms within the bureaucratic system. This tenet applies to all guards, regardless of how well accepted the officer in distress may or may not be. (2) Do not traffic drugs. This is also considered fundamental because of the danger that it can create as inmates fight for power over the trade of these substances. (3) Do not be a snitch. First, officers should never tell information to inmates that can be used by inmates to get another officer in trouble. Second, officers are expected to stay silent and not divulge information that will “burn” another officer, particularly when the Internal Affairs Division (IAD) is investigating an incident. (4) Never disrespect another officer in front of inmates. This tenet reflects the importance of respect and the need to maintain “face” within the prison culture. Officers who are ridiculed or made to look weak in front of inmates have their authority subject to question by inmates since inmates will talk and the word will get around that the officer is not respected (and therefore not well supported) by his peers. (5) Always support an officer who is in a dispute with an inmate. This applies to all types of instances ranging from verbal arguments with inmates to actual physical altercations. Simply put, one’s coworker is always right, and the inmate is always wrong. (6) Do not be friends with an inmate. Officers must be capable of enforcing the rules, regardless of their prior conversations with an inmate. (7) Maintain cohesion against all outside groups. This tenet applies to members of the supervisory ranks, the outside public, the media, and even one’s own family. This tenet is based on the belief that the general public does not understand the pressures placed upon officers and that the media tend to be sympathetic to the plight of the inmate, not the officer.