Prison Officers

Prison Officers
Name
Institutional Affiliation
Prison Officers
Prisoner officers not only have an obligation towards the government, the prison stakeholders, and the community but also to the prisoners. More often, communities rely on the services of federal and state prisons and other correctional amenities to facilitate public safety by running secure establishments. Prison officers recognize that their job is to offer public service and when any unethical behavior or misconduct is observed, it not only taints the image of prisons but also erodes citizens’ confidence in such facilities (Coyle, 2010). For this reason, correctional officers and any other staff responsible for overseeing prisoners should ensure that they observe the enforced codes of ethics to avoid damaging the reputation of the facilities. The code of conduct expects the prison officers to display certain levels of professionalism, respect as well as honesty. Furthermore, they are expected to take into account the interest of the prisoners and protect their right to safety by safeguarding them from different criminal activities.
The code of ethics also requires the officer to respect the civil and legal rights of every citizen regardless of whether they are prisoners or not. They are also obligated to refrain from any form of discrimination regarding race, gender or religion. It is the job of the prison officers to take care of the prisoners, and they are therefore required to exercise reasonable care and provide a safe environment for the prisoners (Gostin, 2013).

In situations where the officer is dealing with a violent and assaulting criminal, they are required to maintain their calm and deal with the prisoner in accordance with the code of ethics outlined. The officers should be responsive to the needs of the prisoner. They are also supposed to uphold respectful attitude even when interacting with offensive or inappropriate behaviors.
References
Coyle, A. (2010). A Human Rights Approach to Prison Management. Handbook for Prison Staff, 160(2), 11-17.
Gostin, L. (2013). Ethical Considerations for Research Involving Prisoners. The Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, 53(2), 193-212.