Staff-Inmate Collaboration

Abstract

This paper utilizes "critical incident" data to analyze explora tory attempts to increase inmate-staff collaboration in a commu nity delinquency experiment. Analyses indicated that (1) in mates and staff liberally shared information regarding problem behavior; (2) the majority of incidents were precipitated by only a minority of persistently deviant persons; and (3) the emergent program culture was increasingly effective as a social-control mechanism. However, this institutional culture or code may have been overly punitive and restrictive. Discussion of the complex pressures which led to this situation highlight the consequences of individual and systemic interaction.