ABSTRACT

From Human To Bureaucratic Relations From the officers’ perspective in 1976 it was clear that much of what charac­ terized officer/inmate relations was not determined by formal demands of the role. Rather, the lack of formal training, the reluctance of experienced officers to assist new ones and positive initial contacts with inmates led many officers to define their relationships with inmates in human terms. The relatively atomized inmate world, characterized by self-oriented coping strategies, permitted officers to contribute readily to the inmates’ adjustment to confinement. The perceived unpredictability and unresponsiveness of formal “helping services” reinforced the feeling that informal assistance to inmates was an appropriate response. In addi­ tion, the perception that inmates rejected formal concern of counselors as “paid for” and, therefore, “not real,” made the officers feel that their informal assistance was more valued.