¶ … corrections officer subcultural norms identified by Kelsey Kauffman and the 6 stressors identified by Elizabeth Grossi and Bruce Berg?
It just makes good sense that people who spend their time and lives together fighting crime and surviving dangerous working conditions will experience some type of significant bonding and that is what happened here. When enough people do something a certain way, it makes it seem acceptable -- witness the holocaust. Grossi and Berg make the point that this type of bonding is not only reasonably expected, it is a natural outcome of forcing mere humans to exert their authority over others. In truth, there are few alternatives available to the corrections officers described in this case study, and making the decision to thwart the mainstream practices may not be in anyone's best interests -- except Justice.
What are your views on the idea of an unwritten code of conduct governing the behavior of police and corrections officers?
The unwritten code of conduct that exists between law enforcement and corrections officers is not only understandable, it is a necessary part of the profession. These are truly "bad guys" that have willingly sacrificed their constitutional rights as a result of their conduct. When the "good guys" are aligned against the "bad guys," something has to give and it is frequently the Bill of Rights that suffers as a result of this unwritten code.
You are a police officer and you witness your partner of 6 years strike a criminal suspect who has been arrested and is secured in handcuffs. The actions of your partner are in violation of your department's Use of Force policy. Your partner has already received punitive sanctions in the past for unwarranted use of force, and this incident may jeopardize his career. What would you do?
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