U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Keeping an Eye on the Keeper - Prison Corruption and Its Control

NCJ Number
97067
Journal
Prison Journal Volume: 64 Issue: 2 Dated: (Fall-Winter 1984) Pages: 113-125
Author(s)
B J McCarthy
Date Published
1984
Length
13 pages
Annotation
The problem of prison staff corruption and its control is examined.
Abstract
Very little is known about the types of corrupt practices in correctional agencies. However, one study identified several types of corrupt conduct: theft, trafficking in contraband, embezzlement, misuse of authority, and a residual or miscellaneous category. Corruption involves the misuse of discretion by public employees. Three forms of discretionary misconduct are identified: misfeasance, malfeasance, and nonfeasance. Two factors identified as influencing the degree of corruption are the opportunities for corruption and the incentives to make use of those opportunities. The opportunities for corruption arise from the discretionary authority allocated by the legislature to correctional officials. Although incentives for staff corruption are many, a major incentive results from defects in the prison organization's control structure. Factors that undermine the formal control structure of the prison are friendships with inmates, reciprocal relationships, and staff reliance on inmates to perform certain staff duties. Controlling corruption requires a commitment by correctional administrators to improve and upgrade the general correctional environment, particularly the working conditions for staff; to protect employees from political pressures; and to replace a tendency toward complacency with a concern for accountability. One table and a list of 36 references are provided.