http://tdcj.itgo.com Home Page Unit Contacts Unofficial News by Region Links to TDCJ and Prison Related Sites Links to Other Employees Sites Reader Submissions Research Information Government, Business, and Official Sites Post a Message to Message Board TDCJ Online Chat Room E-Mail the Web Master
A unified front is a psychological tool used by law enforcement personnel to prevent challenges to their structure. In a prison environment we are in a similar situation in that we are basically enforcing rules and regulations that would otherwise not be adhered to. The element we deal with day to day has made a living through breaking down authoritative lines and twisting the meanings of law to fit their own warped sense of right and wrong.
As correctional officers it is our responsibility to enforce the rules and regulations set out by the administration and maintain custody and control of these incarcerated felons. This can become cumbersome in the event that we allow them to interpret right and wrong for us through their eyes.
As you have been taught throughout pre-service and in-service, one method used by inmates to manipulate the system is to use an employee as a gopher or ally. This is often a complex process that sometimes goes unnoticed by the employee until it’s too late. This method begins by separating the victim (Employee) from the rest of the staff. Once they have convinced that employee that they (inmates) are the friends and the other staff members are against them, then the largest part of the plan is taken care of. All these inmates need to do from that point is feed this belief periodically and eventually the employee will come around.
The victim is selected in most cases as a result of an incident that the inmates have observed or heard about between two or more officers. Speaking metaphorically, once they have a crack in the wall, they simply pick at that crack until there is a gaping hole through which they can climb and do as they please.
A shift that presents no cracks to be exploited is said to be unified. If you approach a fence to climb and you notice it is extremely high, but you notice some gaps or easier routes to pass through, your natural instinct would be to pass through the gaps. The purpose of a unified front is to give the impression that there are no gaps. Even if there may be a few, they are invisible to the inmates and they have to spend a great deal of time hunting for them. A fence with no visible gaps will likely cause the inmates to give up and learn to stay on that side of the fence.
The job we do is tough enough without having the added burden of inmates picking away at our defenses. With a weakened front line we would spend more time trying to patch holes and lose sight of our goal. Even though things don’t always work out as planned and employees sometimes have disagreements, the outward picture must always be of a strong impenetrable wall that would be futile to even try to break through.
