19 Tips for Inmate Interactions
Anthony Gangi
Reprinted with permission from Anthony Gangi from Corrections1 (January 2024). corrections1.com
Times are changing. How we manage the inmate population is a lot different than what it was years ago. We no longer lock the inmates away, forget about them, and only let them out once they are released. In today’s world of corrections, your day is truly defined by the many interactions you will have with the inmate population.
With that said, each interaction you have with the inmate population must showcase a level of control. As staff, the perception of control and authority is paramount for successful and professional interaction. The 19 tips provided below will help you introduce and maintain a level of control and authority over each interaction you have with the inmate population. And, with that in mind, it will also help you to establish the barriers needed to ensure the interaction never strays into areas that can pull you away from your prescribed role.
1. Expectations
The professional (working) relationship between inmates and staff is centered around expectations. As I became more senior, and discretion was developed, it has been my experience that, even though I see the rules as a pillar that guides me through each inmate interaction, my control is expressed though expectations. Therefore, rules are enforced through expectations that define the working relationship. If I ever find myself expressing the rules to gain compliance, it’s because there is a failure of the inmate to follow what has been contractually agreed upon.”
2. No!
As a rookie, the first thing the inmates tested me on was in my ability to say no and mean it. At first, leaning on the rules gave me a chance to practice the art of saying no, but, as time progressed, I learned to look inwards and build my confidence through my evaluated experiences. Remember, saying no and meaning it is an art. There is a finesse to it that allows for the messenger to go unchallenged. And, if inward confidence is expressed (strength of inward justification matters), the no, if needed, becomes permanent.
3. Endgame
If time permits, never go into an interaction with an inmate unprepared. Yes, there will be times throughout the day when spontaneous inmate interactions will occur during your normal routine. But, even with that in mind, you are the one in the driver’s seat. You are the one setting the direction.
If you go in unprepared, if you allow the inmate to steer the course of the dialogue, you may end up on a road you don’t want or need to be on. Set the course and reverse engineer with that endgame in mind.
4. Small Talk
For me, I was never a big fan of small talk with an inmate. I felt that too much small talk lacked purpose and actually served more to benefit the inmate than staff. From what I have witnessed, staff that engage in constant small talk find themselves on the receiving end of trivial yet probing personal questions. Some staff will say it is in their effort to build rapport. I find that questionable at best. Overall, be wary of small talk. Small talk can put staff in a position where they give more than they receive.
5. Body Language
Staff should always be wary of how comfortable they feel around the inmate population. Feelings of comfort will be expressed consciously and unconsciously through the staff member’s body language (hands in pockets, feet on desk, not maintaining proper reactionary distance, fist bumping, shaking hands, etc.). These signs of comfort will then become visible to the inmate population. No matter how routine the interaction, staff should never find themselves falling into complacency.
6. Expect Resistance
Never fall into a safety net expecting that inmate compliance is the norm or guaranteed. Early in my career, my supervisor told me to always expect resistance from an inmate, even for “the trivial and the routine.”
Be advised, this is not in an effort to prepare staff to be aggressive as they navigate themselves through each inmate interaction, but rather serve as reminder to just be prepared. Coach John Wooden said it best, “Confidence comes from being prepared.”
7. Be Specific
Never allow an inmate to talk in circles or in constant generalities. Force them to be specific. If and when they have a concern, keep the dialogue on point by asking them who, what, where and when. Each time the inmate tries to move around any question staff is asking, staff must regain control by circling the dialogue back to those four specifics mentioned above. Holding an inmate to specifics will keep the dialogue short, be less ambiguous and, most importantly, give staff more control.
8. Consistency
There is a fine line between being reliably consistent with the inmate population and being outright predictable. For me, the higher-level expectations that relate to the overall balance of doing my job (routine tours, routine searches, demeanor, overall safety, security, etc.), would be provided with the highest level of consistent commitment and effectiveness. However, as for the specifics, as to when it’s being done, where it’s being done, how it’s being done, or, in some cases, why it’s being done (i.e., strategy, tactics, etc.), will vary. The balance between being consistent and being predictable is centered on some level of spontaneity. Yes, I will be consistent with my efforts and my attitude towards being effective and trustworthy, but not to the point where my every move is predictable by the inmate population. Russ Hamilton, a retired sergeant from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation says it best, “Consistency derives from policy, procedure, law, case law and professionalism. Predictability or the lack thereof derives from strategy or tactics.”
9. Don’t Take It Personal
Inmates can be quite disrespectful at times, especially when staff is issuing a directive in which the inmate refuses to accept and ultimately comply. Therefore, correctional staff must be thick skinned. Staff should never let their professionalism and reason give way to their emotions. Staff’s interactions with the inmate population are a unique dynamic that should never be centered on a win/loss (heated exchange), or us versus them dialogue. One thing remains certain, staff can never expect to confidently wield their level of authority over others without having authority over themselves first. Stephen Covey, author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, said it best, “Between what happens to us, the stimulus, and our response to the stimulus, lies our freedom.”
10. Don’t Overuse Authority
Even though staff hold a position of authority over the inmate population, they should never become complacent in thinking that their position is automatically understood and well received by all. Sadly, there are many staff that run on this assumption. They believe their authority over the inmate population, since it has been given to them by the powers that be, is liked and agreed upon by all. They falsely believe that their authority is something that doesn’t need to be earned daily. For many, they may even hide behind their position of authority in their every effort to gain inmate compliance. It becomes their automatic response, even for the trivial and minute. In essence, staff have a position of authority over the inmate population. But, with that said, they should never misuse or overuse it. The more staff find themselves falling on their authority, by announcing their presence for each encounter, the more it will wear thin and weaken.
11. No Favors
Staff should never allow themselves to be put in a position where they feel obligated to an inmate. Whether it comes across as a favor or an offer by the inmate, the feeling of obligation is centered on.
What at first seems to be an added effort to help staff, such as extra cleaning, protection, or a lookout, be advised that it is not without cost. The added effort becomes a bartering tool for the inmate to navigate their way into getting the staff member to feel obligated. I do for you; you do for me. Staff should never fall for this trap. Staff should make it known to the inmate that this is a working relationship, not a reciprocal one. Therefore, this relationship is not, and never will be, centered on favors or random offers of selective kindness.
12. Popular vs. Respect
I remember my supervisor telling me, “Don’t look to be popular, look to be respected.” For staff who look to be popular amongst the inmates, they will unconsciously find themselves going to those same inmates looking for permission/approval to perform their duties. Their want to be liked and be popular will exceed their ability to carry out their trusted duties. Therefore, staff should never mix popularity with respect.
13. Building Rapport
Building a rapport with an inmate is not an endgame. Building a rapport with an inmate should result in actionable information. I have seen staff get dragged down the wrong path because their effort to build rapport with the inmate population became their endgame, their main priority. Don’t let building rapport supersede your main effort at building on actionable intelligence and then documenting and sharing it accordingly. I have seen many questionable actions by corrupted staff who, when asked to defend their actions, stated, “they were just building a rapport.
Sergeant Hamilton provided a great perspective on this: “Watch how fast your rapport with an inmate evaporates when you go to hold them accountable.”
14. Intimidation
Staff should never be afraid to do what is expected of them in their prescribed role. Some inmates may try to stop staff from carrying out their duties by making threats to tell a supervisor, call their lawyers, call their families, etc. These attempts are a desperate effort by the inmate to gain control over staff and make staff hesitant to perform their duties and meet expectations. Staff need to remain confident in their duties as prescribed and let the inmate know that they can call whoever they want. In the end, staff have a job to do, and that job will not be dictated through the use of intimidation as employed by manipulative inmates.
15. Firm
Staff’s ability to be firm with the inmates starts from within themselves first. Yes, being firm may manifest itself outwards by behaviors that reinforce staff’s confidence, but staff must never forget that this belief starts from within themselves first. Staff need to believe in their position of authority. They need to believe in their duties that they are trusted to carry out. They need to believe in their capabilities to be effective in their role. The staff’s belief in the work they do, in their purpose as related to their duties and expectations, will leak into every interaction they have with the inmate population. Being firm can equate to the staff’s ability to go the distance when they are challenged. It is all about heart.
16. Inmate Rights
Correctional staff should know the difference between privileges and rights. Staff’s ability to govern some level of control over the inmate population is centered around their knowledge of what is a privilege and what is a right. The system of control utilized by correctional staff is centered on a loss vs. gain dynamic. Inmate behavior is controlled within their own efforts to earn back the privileges that were removed by staff because of the inmate’s negative actions. It’s all about accountability. With that said, knowing the inmates’ rights and understanding the difference between their rights and their privileges will help staff not just maintain control and balance the use of their authority, but protect them from losing their job.
17. Accountability
As correctional staff, your duty, your main responsibility, is to hold the inmates accountable for their negative behaviors when warranted. This effort stands regardless of the subsequent outcomes that may follow (i.e., an inmate beating a charge/disciplinary). Staff should never allow themselves to become disenfranchised over the outcome of a charge/disciplinary. Managing inmate behavior is a process, not an outcome. Regardless of the end result, staff should never deter themselves from understanding and performing this higher-level function of accountability.
18. Feelings of Guilt
Correctional staff should never allow an inmate to employ guilt in their efforts to shift responsibility for their negative behavior. Correctional staff should never feel guilty for enforcing the rules and regulations within their level of authority.
Sgt. Oghenetega Onoshirie
Manipulative inmates will try to shift responsibility by making correctional staff feel guilty for enforcing a needed consequence to their negative behavior. Their hope is to make staff feel so over overwhelmed with guilt that staff become weaker in their attempt to enforce accountability. In the end, when an inmate does something wrong, staff should never feel responsible for the inmate’s actions. The inmate who tries to employ guilt as a measure to maneuver away from the needed consequences of their actions should be quickly reminded by staff that this was their choice. That said, the inmate should be held accountable.
19. Clear and Concise
Correctional staff must be defined and purposeful in any and all interactions that they have with the inmate population. From giving a directive to noting a concern, staff must never leave anything to interpretation. Their interaction with the inmate population must be clear, concise, and relevant. The gap between expectation (communication) and action (behavior) can never be left unfilled. It must be defined with the utmost of clarity and understanding. This may require staff to ensure the message is understood by asking the inmate specific questions to address any ambiguities. Be mindful, any message delivered to the inmate population can easily be misinterpreted and selfishly skewed. Being concise and clear with the message will help staff not just maintain control of what is being said, but also get them closer to the desired outcome.
Conclusion
For correctional staff, understanding the professional and working dynamics of each interaction, and then having the tools to maintain its integrity, is an essential part of your day-to-day duties. Each interaction has the potential to either aid the facility in its daily operations or circumvent it.
By knowing the above and understanding how and when each tip can be applied will help you maintain the authority and control needed to ensure your interaction is honest, professional and, most importantly, within the boundaries of your professional role.
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Anthony Gangi has a BA in psychology and is a twenty-year veteran in corrections. He currently works as an Associate Administrator for State Corrections and has worked his way up through the ranks, from officer, to sergeant, and then into administration. Anthony currently sits on the executive board of the New Jersey Chapter of the American Correctional Association. To date, Anthony Gangi has been invited to speak on CNN, MSNBC, CBS, Lifetime, ABC, Fox, and News Nation.. He is also the author of “Inmate Manipulation Decoded” and “How to Succeed in Corrections.” For more information, he can be reached at gangianthony@yahoo.com.