CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

Rationale

Corrections officers, also known as correctional officers and

detention deputies, supervise individuals who have been arrested and are

being held for trial or who have been convicted of a crime and are serving

a sentence in a jail, reformatory, or penitentiary.

Correctional officers supervise the daily activities of inmates, ensuring that

inmates obey the rules. They must also ensure the whereabouts of all inmates at all

times. Officers also escort prisoners between the institution and courtrooms,

medical facilities, and other destinations.

Corrections officers maintain security of the facility and may: Conduct

inmate and cell searches, Document inmates' behavior and anything unusual that

happens during a shift, Guard against prisoner escapes, Inspect all areas of the

institution, Protect corrections officers from prisoner assaults, Review inmates'

incoming and outgoing mail, Stop fights between inmates

During the inmate population increase, correctional officers have played an

important role in creating and maintaining a safe and secure, humane prison

environment, as well as playing a significant role in the lives of many inmates

(Farkas, 1999; Griffin, 2001; Hepburn & Knepper, 1993; Lambert et al., 2009).

The work environment for U.S. based correctional officers varies

dramatically based upon several factors. First, is the age of the facility in which the

correctional officer works. The population explosion in the prison system has

caused a building boom of new prison facilities. These facilities tend to be

temperature controlled, less crowded, and able to better accommodate inmates in a

controlled and orderly environment. The older facilities tend to be poorly

ventilated, hot and noisy. (Hayner & Ash, 1940; McCorkle & Korn, 1954).

Global findings have implications for understanding what type of employee

may be attracted to correctional work, and in turn help us better understand

correctional officers. Importantly, age, race, and gender were unrelated to

respondent’s views of job quality and their willingness to become a correctional

officer. This finding indicates that efforts to diversify prison work will not be met

with resistance by potential employees.

In the Philippines, which is characterized by poverty, corruption, and under

resourcing of correctional facilities. In such circumstances, inmate leaders tend to

share governance with prison administrators. Despite occurring out of necessity,

not by design, this system normalizes social conditions within a prison. This article

examines the ramifications of such a shared governance model for correctional

management by means of ethnographic research.

CPDRC Dancing Inmates or the CPDRC dancers is a collective of prison

inmates in Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC), a

maximum security prison in Cebu, in Cebu Province, Philippines where the

prisoners perform dance routines as part of their daily exercise and rehabilitation,

and as part of correctional officers performance to rehabilitate prisoners,many of

their performances are filmed and released online, making them a popular feature

among fans and veritable online celebrities.

As a researcher, there is a need to study to make the community

aware of the happenings inside the correctional facilities for them to be

able to know the performance of our correctional officers and how they

handle stress in rehabilitating inmates.

A Thesis Proposal
Presented to the Faculty
of College of Criminal Justice
University of Cebu

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirement for the Degree
Bachelor of Science
in Criminology

By

LENDON A. ABASA

February 2020
 4

Theoretical Background

This study is anchored on the Routine Activity Theory by Andrew Nolen in

(2011) and supported by Classical Theory and Community Corrections Practice by James

Byrne (2016) and Utilitarianism Theory by Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832)

The Routine activities theory was designed by Cohen and Felson in 1979

when trying to find a reason for urban crime rates. The basic theory stated that

criminal events originate in the routines of everyday life. They stated that there

must be three elements involved in order for a crime to be committed: a motivated

offender, a suitable target and the lack of guardianship. The routine activity theory

is very sound theory and actually can find a good place in corrections.

This theory extends into the public sector too. How many times do you get

asked “may I help you” at stores? The ideology is that if every associate in the

stores greet you and make eye contact that one would be wary of stealing from that

store. Companies have spent millions to find sound solutions to criminal behaviors

within their stores and just greeting a customer was discovered to have the highest

impact on whether or not a crime would be committed.

already a prominent figure for the guardian part of the theory. However, take that

one step further and greet inmates as you go by. Let your presence be known other

than the uniform you wear. By using your basic interpersonal communications

skills when encountering inmates in any area no matter what they are doing you

are not only establishing yourself as an approachable type of person but also an

officer that is not afraid of doing their job. This then builds a professional rapport

not only amongst the inmates but staff as well.

This study is supported by Classical Theory and Community Corrections Practice

by James Byrne (2016)