Do You Know Misconduct When You See It?
July 23rd, 2009
In my previous article I made mention that “When it comes right down to it, many officers do not even know what constitutes Misconduct, or how it’s investigated in the first place.” Incredibly, I know that a few of you probably said to yourself that misconduct could never happen to me or at my agency. As you read the following TRUE articles pulled out of recent news papers ask yourself this question, “Do I really know myself, and what I would do in situations like these?” Read more…
According to the governor’s office, two people have been taken hostage by a prisoner with a knife at the Maine State Prison in Warren. The incident began mid-afternoon and a negotiating team has made limited contact with the prisoner. Official have not identified the inmate but say he is in jail for robbery and aggravated assault. One hostage is a prisoner and one hostage is prison staff. Family members of the hostages have been notified. 
I thought that I knew how to verbally de-escalate individuals and generate voluntary compliance through my emanation of authority, that is, until my first day with inmates. When I was a police officer I was very confident in my weapons systems and had a clear understanding of the use of force continuum and where I stood as it related to my abilities. Verbal de-escalation was just a required term of action that I placed into my reports in order to justify the physical slam that just occurred. 
In the course of a day the average correctional officer can be deceived more often than they are spoken the truth. Inmates will mix truthful information with lies when speaking to officers and you need to be able to pick out the truths and discard the deceptions. Inmates rely on deception, manipulation and bewilderment in order to gain favors, outside contraband, a phone call or items such as an extra bar of soap.