Group values are values shared by a particular group to form subcultures, which are groups of people characterized by unique set of beliefs, values, and principles that operate in a large organization. The importance of a culture is provision of behavior norms. Inmates subculture and correction officer are the dominant subcultures in correction of inmates. Correction employees are mainly organized in work groups based on similarity in function; each group has different behavior norms.
Psychological contract is one contract that is unwritten and defines the behavior expectation that accompany every role of correction officers. The expectations of the managers in facilities is that they have a royal staff that carries the duties and the roles in accordance to the job description and in accordance with the organization mission statement, as well as treating the inmates in a professional way (Freeman, 1999).
The responsibilities of the correction officers are so many but the main ones are the following; they are expected to monitor the conduct of the prisoners in reference to the policies and procedures to make sure that the inmates do not escape or cause violence in jails. The officers also have the responsibility of ensuring that the locks, doors and the gates in the correction center are in the right conditions thus, they do not provide the inmates with a chance of escaping. Some of the visitors to the prisons are usually up to no good; it is therefore the responsibility of the correction officers to ensure that the facilities gates are well guarded against any unexpected instances. In every society, there always exist a dispute among the members, which therefore calls for the responsibility of the correction officer to solve any disputes that may arise in the facility (Braswel, 2008).
Another role that a correction officer should involve himself is the arrangements of schedules that the inmates should follow daily. The activities contained in the schedules may range from counseling appointments, family visits and work assignments, to mention but a few. The collection officers should also assist the police in the investigation of crimes if they have information that may be important is resolving a certain crime (Braswel, 2008). When the inmates are first brought to the facility it is the responsibility of the corrections officer to issue them with the items they need and ones that are authorized to them.
Though the responsibilities of the correction officer are well defined in the contract of employment, sometimes they go astray and fail to follow them. In short, they fail to act ethical to what they are expected to do. For one, some of them engage themselves in sexual relations with inmates. Sometimes it may not be consensual sex but rape cases. Such an action is violation of the code of conduct of correction officers. Some female inmates find it hard to speak out the instances of assault, since there is the forceful requirement when the crime took place (Kumar, 2002). In addition, there is the fear that if the officer is not convicted he may decide to retaliate once the issue is over.
There have also been incidences of brutality among the collection officers where they use excessive force in handling the inmates as well beating the inmates for no apparent reason. Sometimes, death arises to the inmates due to the misconducts of the collection officers. The actions of the collections officers are not justifiable at all and inmates have rights irrespective of what they have done (Aspen Publishers, 2002). They should always make sure that they abide by the code of conduct and act ethically to the inmates. Furthermore, they are not the ones to administer justice since the courts are there to do that work.
References
Aspen Publishers. (2002). Discovery and Proof in Police Misconduct Cases. New York: Aspen Publishers Online.
Braswell, M. C. (2008). Justice, Crime, and Ethics. New Jersey: Anderson.
Freeman, R. M. (1999). Correctional organization and management: public policy challenges, behavior, and structure. Massachusetts: Elsevier.
Kumar, A. (2002). Human Rights. New Delhi: Sarup & Sons.