THE ROLE OF STAFF IN PRISON MISCONDUCT
One of the most critical elements in any correctional system is the quality of the staff hired to work in prisons. The critical role played by employees in the correctional enterprise has long been noted by correctional practitioners and prison reformers;
[It] is obvious, too, that the best security which society can have, that suitable punishments will be inflicted in a suitable manner, must arise from the character of the men to whom the government of the prison is entrusted (Boston Prison Discipline Society, 1827 :18 ) .
In 1870, the Reverend James Woodworth, Secretary of the California Prison Commission, stated;
Until it [prison guard reform] is accomplished, nothing is accom plished. When this work is done, everything will be done, for all the details of a reformed prison discipline are wrapped up in this supreme effort, as oak is in the acorn (Fogel, 1979 :69 ) .
Jessica Mitford reported in a critical study of prisons:
The character and mentality of the keepers may be of more impor tance in understanding prisons than the character and mentality of the kept (Reid 1981 :211 ) .
Generally, in the area of public service, the integrity of government workers has been viewed as a significant factor in the effective and efficient operation of government. The most visible forms of corruption occur in the front end of the criminal justice system and involve the police. In criminal justice, a voluminous literature exists on police corruption, yet this subject represents one of the least understood areas in corrections. This chapter shifts the focus to prisons and the types of corrupt practices occurring behind the walls (both figuratively and literally). We will examine the forms, functions, and impact of corrupt practices on the correctional process.
Corrupt practices in prison range from simple acts of theft and pilferage to largescale criminal conspiracies (e.g., drug trafficking, counterfeiting rings, sale of paroles, etc.). These forms of correctional malpractice may be directed at inmates and their families, other employees, the state, and the general community.
The impact of such practices cannot be underestimated. They are destruc tive and dangerous. In terms of their impact on the criminal justice system, corrupt practices undermine and erode respect for the justice system by both offenders and the general public and lead to the selective nullification of the punishment and the “pains of imprisonment” (i.e., the correctional process