Conflict among killers

Conflict among killersA look into conflict management in prisons

Conflict Resolution in Corrections:Teaching, workshops and extra-curricular activities inside Eastern Correctional Institution of Westover Maryland

Article Review

Article Review

Information on article

• This article was written to depict a study conducted by Daniel Hirko & Ashley Simpson of Salisbury University.

• The drive of this study was to identify certain conflict management styles that might benefit prisoners, and then apply them.

Article Review

Statistic and location of study

• The study was conducted at Eastern Correctional Institution (ECI) was opened in 1987 and is the largest prison on the Eastern Shore.

• There is about 3,000 male inmates with varying sentences but the most predominant is murder.

Article Review

Preexisting conflict management precautions at prison

• There are many preexisting conflict management programs at the prison.

• Many of programs have a monetary incentive. If a prisoner goes and completes the course they will be paid.

• Some examples of paid classes would be… Thinking, Deciding, Changing. Communications Group. Relationships Group. Inside-Out Dads Group

Article ReviewCreating Peaceful Resolutions

• Out of the many programs examined the researchers found out one stood above the others.

• Creating Peaceful Resolutions is such a popular program that these had to be a waiting list created.

• Although this is a paid program it one of many and the monetary incentive can’t explain it’s overwhelming popularity.

Article Review Creating Peaceful Resolutions

• This program is very rigorous and hard to get into but very positive results have been found.

• The study found a major decrease not only in the conflicts associated with those that have taken the class but also at the prison as a whole.

• The program is set up in a step by step fashion. The class takes eight week with three sections every week day.

Article Review Creating Peaceful Resolutions

• Each week tackles a different topic of conflict and it’s management and tries to not only help inmates solve problems but also figure out why these problems arose.

Example of the eight week possess: Week 1: Goals/Ground Rules/Conflict StylesWeek 2: Conflict AnalysisWeek 3: CommunicationWeek 4: Conflict and DiversityWeek 5: Values/Moral/PowerWeek 6: Issues/InterestsWeek 7: Steps to Conflict ResolutionWeek 8: Talking the Talk/Certificates

Organizational Conflict

Organizational Conflict

• If you look at prisons as a type of organization (which I do) you have to look at the conflict inside of them as a type of organizational conflict.

• We like to think that all prison conflict is driven by rage and should be treated on a individual level but what if we try to approach it as more of a group effort?

Phases Organizational Conflict

Latent Conflict Perceived conflict Felt conflict Manifested conflict Conflict aftermath

Phases of Organizational Conflict

All of the phases of organizational conflict are present in prisons but often end with much more serious results than an argument in your office.

I will look at each phase of conflict and explain where they can be seen in the prison population.

Application of Theories

Latent Conflict

• Gang violence isn’t only something that is happening on the streets of major cites, but also a major concern of correctional facilities.

• Gang members are always aware of each other existence and affiliations.

• This leads to a constant form of latent conflict in prisons.

Perceived Conflict

• Many gangs believe in the same values but each others very existence is seen as a challenge.

• No matter how similar they are to each other gangs will always perceive conflict with each other.

Felt Conflict

• Prison fights aren’t always a raged induced frenzy but often a well planed assault.

• Once conflict has been perceived often gangs will start preparing to making the first move, such as making shives and choosing which place will take the longest for the guards to arrive.

• This is when conflict is being felt.

Manifested conflict

• On the topic of gang conflict this is by far the easiest to identify.

• Manifested conflict will either be verbal assaults or a full on fight be it between two prisoners or more.

Conflict Aftermath

• There is a lot of conflict aftermath to prison fights.

• Some gang member who is of importance may die and even affect the workings of the gang outside of prison.

• Often prisoners are sent to solitary to punish them (a practice I have already condemned)

Questions

Questions

The article showed that conflict management classes benefit prisons. Why haven’t such practices been taken up everywhere.

Is there away to defuse the latent conflict in-between gangs or maybe attempt to show them that their perceived conflict isn’t truly there?

Is our fixation on punishment over rehabilitation going to continue enforcing practices such as isolation? Is there away to change the popular option on such practices?

Questions

How much effect are these classes having on the prisoners once they are released? Do they go right back to the gang or have they better learned how to deal with conflict in their lives?

Should prison guards be taught conflict management styles? Guards get the most interaction with prisoners during their time in corrections, maybe if the guards were taught these styles they could better manage the conflicts that did arise.

Are these workshops only helpful before and after the conflict or can they be practiced to defuse a conflict that is currently occurring.

Work Cited

Hirko, D., & Simpson, A. (2011). Conflict Resolution in Corrections: Teaching, workshops and extra-curricular activities inside Eastern Correctional Institution of Westover Maryland.