ABSTRACT
The American Correctional Association published a code of ethics for correctional personnel. It is often said that, within the corrections system, a subculture exists in which the inmate is the enemy and the use of force and deception is acceptable. This chapter discusses the issues facing correctional officers and the public issues involving punishment. The problem of punishment causes constant anguished reassessment, not only because we keep speculating on what the effective consequences of crime should be, but also because there is a confusion of the ends and means. Retribution is based on the ideology that the criminal is an enemy of society and deserves severe punishment for willfully breaking its rules. Deterrence is a punishment viewpoint that focuses on future outcomes rather than past misconduct. One of the problems with deterrence is determining the appropriate magnitude and nature of punishment to be imposed to deter future criminal misconduct.
