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Assignment One

Jonathan Pascual

University of Maryland Global Campus

Ethical Behavior in Criminal Justice (2245)

Professor Jim Pope

4/06/2024
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Smuggling Contraband into Prisons by Correctional Officers

Part One

For decades, the issues of contraband smuggling into jails/prisons have been a key issue

for many years. According to Norman (2022), contrabands in the jails includes various items

including drugs, communication devices, alcohol, drug paraphernalia, tobacco paraphernalia,

tobacco, tattoo equipment, weapons as well as various items that individuals in the prisons would

use in appropriate ways. Various individuals are involved in this activity including visitors,

family members and correction officers. Nevertheless, contraband trafficking by correctional

officers is a severe problem in the correctional facilities in the United States leading to an

increase in security risks and undermining rehabilitation.

For instance, in New York city, a correctional officer was caught trying to smuggle

contraband worth $50,000 which included, weapons, drugs, and cell phones. In addition to that,

prison guards were caught in Georgia for being involved in a smuggling ring where they were

moving more than 1000 cell phones each month and potentially generating more than $450,000

annually (Peterson et al., 2021). The increase in these cases highlights the fact that there are

various factors that influence the corrections officers to engage in such unethical behaviors. This

factors include low wages, high job stress, and the impact of prisoners` gangs which make it

vulnerable for the corrections officers (Norman, 2022). Many of the ethical violations and

organizational issues addressed these officers not only endanger organizational credibility, but

also threaten the security and wellbeing of the inmates and overall citizens as well. I believe that

various factors influence the correction officer`s decision to engage in immoral and unethical

behavior through smuggling contraband into prisons or jails.

Part 2

The topic I have chosen to research on involves the Florida Department of Corrections

(FDOC). Over the last few years, the Florida Department of Corrections has witnessed an

increase in the issues of officers being involved in the smuggling of contrabands into the jails

and prisons, with a number of this officers being convicted of these various crimes. These

various crimes had not caught the public eye until Daralene Jones, a courageous reporter

addressed the issue which led to a number of officers at the FDOC being convicted of these

crimes. Since November 2017, Mrs. Jones had been working on various cases with the aim of

exposing the misconduct within the FDOC (Woody, 2022). Her investigate work brought to light

numerous issues in the FDOC department which included harassment of inmates as well as the

illicit actions of the corrections officers. As per research, various inmates had obtained various

types of contrabands by engaging in inappropriate relationships with staff. Despite the evidence

obtained from various cases, the consequences for the involved officers were observed to be

minimal.

For instance, Mrs. Jones had been working on the case where she was trying to bring the

story to light after learning of a sexual assault victim who was being harassed and stalked by a

particular perpetrator who was in jail at the moment (Woody, 2022). According to Mrs. Jones

research, the inmate had gotten the cellphone from sexual favors with a corrections officer

named Erica Koger. Nevertheless, even with this prove, the corrections officer got her charges

reduced to a much less misdemeanor which only resulted into a one-year probation period. Once

she completed her probation period, she would then be considered clean.

Another case witnessed in the state of Florida involved a corrections officer in the

Jefferson region where she was accused of making more than $20,000 from selling cellphones to
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inmates. Similar to Erica Koger`s case, the harsher charges of smuggling contrabands were

dropped and a lesser misdemeanor took its place (Zagaris, 2021). Once an individual has been

convicted of smuggling contraband, they are liable to a prison sentence of up to five years.

However, as per records have indicated, out of the 40 correctional officers as well as other prison

employees that have been arrested on such charges in the last three years, only eight of them

have received a prison or jail sentence (Peterson et al., 2021). Most of those sentenced only

served a few months in jail. The incidents highlight the broad issue that faces the Florida

Department of Corrections whereby various officers have expressed their own concerns

regarding getting overworked and underpaid.

Part 3

The unethical behavior made by the various officers in the corrections department has

and will always have consequences not only to the society but also to the system and various

individuals. One of the main consequences of engaging in unethical conduct is the erosion of

trust within the society (Norman, 2022). When the society loses trust in correctional institutions,

it could result in decreased support for funding, as the corrections departments rely on the

taxpayer dollars. According to research, the prison populations cost the country more than $72

billion which is indeed more than what is spent by 133 countries combined (Gallien & Weigand,

2021). Therefore, lack of adequate funding could affect the ability to maintain and improve the

corrections system`s infrastructure, programs which may in turn affect the effectiveness of the

whole system.

I do believe that there exist various factors that all contribute to the unethical behavior of

the accused correction officers with the main one being personal gain. This specific behavior

extends much beyond activities such as contraband smuggling. For instance, in a certain case I
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Florida, an owner to a to a private prison management company made a decision to reduce the

officers` salaries as well as the inmates food ratios solely for his own financial gain (Bichler &

Jimenez, 2022). Various correctional officers face various challenges of being underpaid and

overworked which may influence the officer’s behavior towards unethical actions, specifically

contraband smuggling.

In addition to that, contraband smuggling can also be contributed to by various cultural

factors that affect not only the prison environment but also the broader society. To start with,

occupational culture plays a significant role in influencing the behaviors and attitudes of various

correctional officers with the prisons and jails. The hierarchical nature of the various corrections

facilities as well as the various challenges faced by the correctional officers such as getting

overworked and underpaid could influence an us versus them mentality whereby the officers

responsible may view the inmates as adversaries (Woody, 2022). This cultural situation may lead

to dehumanizing atmosphere pushing the corrections officers to unethical behaviors such as

contraband smuggling.

Also, various systematic challenges have persisted over time leading to an increase in

cases of contraband smuggling. The challenges include decades of underfunding, overcrowding

in the prisons and jails, as well as inadequate staffing which has created an environment that

favors unethical behaviors as well as corruption (Norman, 2022). In addition to that, the increase

in cases of organized crime and gang activity both outside as well as inside prisons further

complicates the efforts to prevent contraband smuggling.

Politics have also been understood to influence behaviors and decisions in correctional

organizations. Many organizations often allow unethical behavior to take root when power

battles or department squabbles are actually costing many resources. Some of the political factors
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in the Florida Department of Corrections may include favoritism, tribalism, and corruption,

which may lead to different standards of discipline and accountability for the officers (Gallien &

Weigand, 2021). Managing these politics is crucial in ensuring that correctional institutions

adopt their recommendations and enforce high standards of accountability and honesty.

In addition to that, in the world of politics and team work, official deviance is also a

major contributor to unethical behavior of the various correctional officers. Organizational

deviance can be defined as when someone violates the law but in the interest of their

organization and not for personal gain (Bichler & Jimenez, 2022). For instance, when an officer

gives false information in the court to protect another officer or an organization from being

accused of an offence, that is official deviance. This kind of behavior is like creating a group

where officers view other members as a threat. In this group, officers might use violence while

dealing with inmates without considering the ramifications, thus there will be confrontations

between inmates and officers.

Nevertheless, It is always easy to find examples of moral courage in the field of

contraband smuggling. Various individuals have demonstrated special courage to fight cases of

unethical behavior and report on corrupt activities. For instance, in the case of the Florida

Department of Corrections, journalists dedicated to their work such as Mrs. Jones have help

uncover mishandling and bring out the essence of accountability. The public views these

individuals as moral main characters for the simple reason of demonstrating that these people are

ready to put their own lives and even their reputation at stake to tell people about injustice and

struggle against it. In this regard, it can be argued that their work plays a role for raising

awareness of the various problems that would have perhaps never been reported and encourages

the correctional institutions to become more accountable for their activity.

In conclusion, it is clear that contraband smuggling by the correctional officers is a huge

menace that poses a major threat to the security and the integrity of correctional facilities in the

U. S. Various factors such as inadequate funding, gang influence and overcrowding are main

challenges that contribute to the problem. In order to solve this problem, there should be

improved working conditions and obligatory and regular training, which is devoted to ethical

standards, as well as non-tolerance to corruption and fostering a culture of Compliance.

Additionally, the corrections departments should strive to combat internal political processes that

are, for instance, based on the introduction of unequal treatment and subsequent corruption.

Appropriate policies and measures should also be developed and upheld to aid in reform and

restore public confidence, reduce cases of prisoners’ abuse and enhance safety.
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References

Bichler, G., & Jimenez, I. (2022). Drug Smuggling Seizures: The Effects of Reporting

Consistency and Quality on the Observed Transnational Structure. Journal of Drug

Issues, 53(1), 159–179. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220426221107550

Gallien, M., & Weigand, F. (2021). Channeling Contraband: How States Shape International

Smuggling Routes. Security Studies, 30(1), 79–106.

https://doi.org/10.1080/09636412.2021.1885728

Norman, C. (2022). A global review of prison drug smuggling routes and trends in the usage of

drugs in prisons. WIREs Forensic Science, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.1002/wfs2.1473

Peterson, B., Kizzort, M., Kim, K., & Shukla, R. (2021). Prison Contraband: Prevalence,

Impacts, and Interdiction Strategies. Corrections, 1–18.

https://doi.org/10.1080/23774657.2021.1906356

Woody, J. (2022). The Application of Florida’s Drug Trafficking Statute to Prescription Opioids:

Is It Time for a New Approach? Florida State University Law Review Online, 49, 26.

https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/fsuon49&div=3&id=&pa

ge=

Zagaris, B. (2021). Narcotics Enforcement Cooperation. International Enforcement Law

Reporter, 37, 168.

https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/ielr37&div=54&id=&pag

e=
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