Inmates Come to Guard's Aid

Deputy Kenneth Moon was seated at his station at the county jail when an inmate attacked him. Douglas Burden, 24, put Moon, 64, into a strong choke hold; it was only a matter of time before Moon was unconscious. And that's when other inmates rushed to his rescue (watch the video). Now, about that:

Moon was caught completely off guard. You can see him visually acquire Burden, but for some reason he doesn't think to stand. He remains seated, and finds himself at an extreme tactical disadvantage once Burden attacks. I saw this kind of complacency all the time in corrections. You get comfortable in your routine, you get to know familiar inmate faces, you get bored. It's one of the most dangerous aspects of the work, that slow loss of vigilance.

But I am honestly not surprised that the inmates came to his aid. Criminality, at least as it pertains to non-violent crimes, is a problem of intelligence and impulse control. That is to say, criminals of the petty variety are not evil people; they just make extremely bad decisions. Failing to intervene while another human's life is in jeopardy would require a more sinister disposition than most of these men possess.

What's more, a strange sort of mutual respect develops in a correctional environment. If an officer is overly strict (or excessively lenient), he will be afforded no respect from inmates. If, however, he is "by the book," treating inmates in a fair and consistent manner, he will be well-regarded. Similarly, if an inmate just does his time and doesn't cause any problems, the officer is more inclined to accommodate inmate requests (within the letter of the law, of course). Watching this video, it's pretty clear that these inmates respected Deputy Moon.

Monday, November 16, 2009 (tags↓)
corrections