We have all heard the term “blind spot.” Before you put your car in reverse, you always check and adjust the mirrors, ensuring you can see as much as possible around your vehicle. Many modern vehicles also have rear-facing cameras, which provide even greater visibility to increase safety. The idea that multiple views and perspectives increase safety also applies to those of us who work as correctional officers (COs) behind the walls in our nation’s correctional facilities. To help improve safety, it’s important to deal with the many blind spots in corrections.
When I worked the floors in the county jail, I knew there were cameras on me, and to a degree, I knew my fellow jail officers had my back. I also realized cameras cannot see everything, from every angle. Like the mirrors and cameras on a vehicle, the images and reflections do not cover every threat. Dealing with blind spots without compromising staff and inmate safety requires a combination of vision, equipment and attitude.
The average citizen likely believes incarcerated offenders are being observed 100% of the time, either by correctional officers or through video monitoring. Corrections designers and architects strive to make that assumption a reality to the greatest extent possible. But if you have worked inside a jail, like I have, you know the truth: Even if every camera is functioning and every CO is diligently making their rounds, there are still certain places — blind spots — where inmates can do things outside the view of a CO or a security camera. The staff knows where these places are, and the inmates know as well.
Blind spots can be due to poor facility design or inconveniently placed obstacles like furniture or support pillars. I have seen complexes where inmates are housed in a labyrinth of cells, with hallways that twist and turn. In one jail I visited, the area underneath the stairway from the upper tier to the lower day room could not be easily observed by the CO in the control booth. Staff members told me how an inmate who was disliked by others in the unit was lured under this stairway and assaulted.
The physical design of a facility matters. Officers can’t be everywhere at once; if they can’t see what is going on, violent incidents are likely to happen. Also, backup will be delayed — or arrive too late.
I have several objectives to this discussion, all in the interests of safety:
- A refresher on the importance of observation to the CO.
- How complacency can lead to blind spots, which give power to the inmate and decrease the safety of all who work and live in the facility.
- Advice for supervisors on how to deal with blind spots.
What to watch for
One of the most critical things a CO learns is the importance of observation. A CO learns to look for the unusual — what the offenders have in their cells, what is in the living and work areas, what doors are secure, how offenders are acting, and so on. Is the facility dirty? Are things like cameras, monitors, and lights operating correctly?
And let’s not forget the offenders themselves. Is there an air of tension, like an argument or physical altercation is about to start? How about that inmate who is visibly agitated, looking dejected or anxious? Does he need to be spoken with to determine if he is in crisis? And that inmate coming back from a personal visit or a consultation with his attorney — is he angry or otherwise upset? Did an inmate slam down the unit phone and not speak to anyone when he is normally very social?
The many roles of a CO
A CO has many roles. Besides the obvious — making sure inmates are safe and secure — they also serve as the following:
- An information agent, answering inmates’ questions on facility operations, visiting, meals, mail, and so on.
- A counselor, advising offenders about available programs and services.
- A de facto legal advisor, giving offenders general information about court, preliminary hearings, and bail.
- A diplomat, defusing arguments and conflicts among offenders.
- A parent, correcting immature inmate behavior.
- An unofficial psychologist, evaluating inmates’ mental and emotional conditions and trying to help them manage their behavior.
The last one is quite possibly the CO’s most important role, and it relies heavily on observation. Every CO (veteran or newbie) knows their correctional facilities are filled with offenders with mental issues. [1] How do they know which ones may have mental health problems? Some offenders are clearly out of touch with reality. They may believe that they are someone else (or somewhere else). They may be unresponsive to questions, laugh inappropriately, or say things that make no sense. They may experience hallucinations, delusions, anxiety, fear, or paranoia. They may display excessive emotions, disordered thinking or extreme mood changes. And let’s not forget depression and thoughts of suicide. While suicidal people are not necessarily mentally ill, a CO must always be on the lookout for talk of suicide, self-destructive acts, or suicidal ideation. [2]
Working as a CO is definitely not a “desk job.” Though control centers and guard towers may have desks at their workstations, that’s not a CO’s primary function. What you see, how you think and how you react to people and situations are your tools. The most important thing to remember, though, is to observe with your eyes and your mind.
Blind spots: Literal and philosophical views
Observation — seeing things directly through our eyes — is pretty straightforward. We can see the inmates congregating outside a cell. We can watch an inmate veering off course when he was told to report to the medical unit for his insulin injection. We can see an inmate drifting toward a housing unit where he doesn’t belong. All of these observations are important information for a CO to keep in mind.
Technology and facility design
Much of the observation in a correctional facility is done through technology. With closed-circuit television, a CO working inside a control center can see much of a unit’s day room, or inside an observation cell holding a suicidal or mentally ill inmate. Technology has greatly improved our ability to see inmates in their living and work areas in much greater detail. Today’s cameras provide clear, color images, unlike the grainy, black-and-white footage of the past.
If a facility is being remodeled, or a new facility is being built, a radial design can help prevent blind spots. This design originated in the 19th century, in such institutions as the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia. Inmate units are arranged in spokes from a central hub, or control center. Staff can observe multiple areas simultaneously in a 180-degree view. This permits more direct-eyeball observation, supplemented by closed-circuit television. Blind spots can be reduced, or more securely managed with a combination of 180-degree observation, technology, and staff walking around. But many facilities are old, in need of repair and at the mercy of decreasing budgets.
Physical blind spots
There are two types of physical blind spots in corrections: literal and technological. The literal type of blind spot is an area where direct line-of-sight visibility is not possible from the CO’s position. This could be a design flaw; many facilities were built many years ago. Redesigning them and remodeling cost money, as does building new facilities. We are stuck with the type of design that we have. I have both seen and worked in jails that are 50-plus years old and have seen staff doing their best to stay safe.
The second type of physical blind spot is an area where not covered by observation cameras. When blind spots like this are identified, cameras should be moved or supplemented with additional technology. Unfortunately, budgets don’t always allow for this. In other cases, cameras exist but are not operational. Sometimes, staff will place a Post-It note reading “Out of order” on a piece of broken equipment. When this happens, a “trusty” (inmate worker) who collects the trash and mops the floor will inevitably notice this, and the word will get around to the inmates that a particular camera is down. Everyone will know the staff is “blind.”
Complacency as a blind spot
The third type of blind spot is officer complacency. Some COs may think, “Why bother getting up to check the inmates on observation? Why bother taking a walk through an area?” They may look at the monitor and think that there is nothing going on — all is well. This is not professionalism, but laziness. Inmates are crafty and ingenious. After all, many of them live crime as a lifestyle, taking advantage of people and situations.
An illustration from 2017 provides a valuable object lesson in how laziness and complacency can impact a facility. In a New Jersey jail, an inmate died in the wing where newly arrived inmates are placed. As a result, the warden ordered a review of the jail’s logbooks and security surveillance tapes. Two corrections officers confessed to lying about making security rounds. The two officers had recorded checks that did not match the logbooks and tapes. One officer stated that he did not perform the checks because he “just got comfortable.” The other officer said that she became “too relaxed.” While the officers were not accused of involvement in the inmate’s death, investigators uncovered disciplinary issues with both officers. When they tried to get their jobs back, an appellate judge ruled against them,. The ruling noted that, due to the layout and design of the area in question, corrections officers could not see inside the cells unless they entered the tier.
The bottom line is that if an officer is lazy or complacent, refusing to take the duty of observing inmates seriously, bad things will happen. A death in custody can be a career-ending event. Let this be a lesson for supervisors: Even if cameras are working properly, you should still require your staff to walk around and look to see what is going on.
Staffing and workload challenges
In 2023, Utah correctional officers’ union advocates were raising concerns about officer safety in the new Utah State Correctional Facility that opened the previous year. An inmate attacked an officer in a restricted housing unit. According to union officials, the CO was attacked from a blind spot that he could not see. Another attack happened in a mental health unit, also reportedly due to a blind spot.
The new facility has a direct supervision design. While it has state-of-the-art cameras and other technology, the lack of staffing had created weak points and blind spots. The CO union advocates stated that the lack of staff made monitoring the surveillance cameras more difficult. Imagine a two-officer control center with five computer/camera screens to watch. Now throw in short staffing (a single officer), the phone and communications being busy and you have COs missing critical observations-blind spots.
Strategies for leaders
While many facilities differ in size, design and age, there are some things management can do to reduce risk for everyone. These take teamwork, cooperation among staff and energy. They include: [1]
- Uniform presence: Many correctional agencies are short-staffed and short-budgeted, forcing them to do more with less. COs are under pressure to be, as much as possible, everywhere at once. Realistically speaking, everyone who is sworn staff — the badge carriers — should be in uniform and mobile. Inmates, no matter where they are, should see as many uniformed staff as possible, walking around, including supervisors and even higher-ups — the “brass.”
- Being proactive: Discuss with officers where the physical blind spots are and have teams of two check them as often as possible. If inmates are loitering there, move them out. If they refuse, write them up. Word will get around. Have staff become accustomed to doing this, and issue written orders if necessary.
- Keep the physical controls working: Do not prop security doors open for the sake of convenience; let the inmates see that security doors are locked, as per policy. Supervisors must drive this point home as it may be unpopular with some officers. If a camera in an area isn’t working correctly, get it fixed as soon as possible. The safety of staff and inmates depends on it.
- Fear is your friend: I tell my classes that inmates should experience an element of fear. By this I do not mean fear of physical or mental abuse, threats, or manufactured disciplinary charges. What I mean is the fear we all had in elementary school when we misbehaved (or were thinking of misbehaving). That kind of fear was, “Where is the teacher? We may get caught!” As I have pointed out in this discussion, a CO should perform his or her duties in a way that inmates are always looking over their shoulders, wondering where the staff is, thinking that they may get caught. And repercussions should be meted out fairly and per policy.
Staying vigilant
Blind spots will always exist in our facilities. While it is unrealistic to think we can redesign our jails, prisons, and juvenile centers, we can and must do what we can to prevent assaults, banish complacency, and ensure the safety of everyone in our jails — staff and inmates alike.
Being aware of the blind spots in corrections, where they are, and how we can increase safety by staff presence are key factors in reducing risk in your jail facility. Many uniformed staff walking around, checking on each other and being proactive about blind spots can help keep us safe. Complacency is the friend of the blind spot, but awareness and being creative with staffing is its enemy.
References
- Cornelius G F (2017). “The Correctional Officer: A Practical Guide, Third Edition.” Carolina Academic Press.
- Morvay B J (2019). “Responding to Incidents Involving Persons with Special Needs.” Flushing, NY: Looseleaf Law Publications, Inc.
