The Centrality of the Inmate-Officer Relationship in Chilean Prisons: Implications for Resocialization and the Control of Corruption

Abstract

The daily insecurity that affects several areas of Latin America, combined with high levels of exclusion suffered by a large part of the general population, has become a breeding ground for corruption, where non-state criminal actors try to corrupt public officials related to the public security, including prison officers. A key aspect for the prison to fulfill its social function of contributing to public security and social reintegration is the environment and living conditions for inmates and officials. This article, based on Alison Liebling's concept of “moral performance” and using a qualitative methodology, presents two case studies that analyze the relational nature of prisons and the way in which the officials of both precincts perceive their role and how they relate to inmates. Our findings show that human relations are central to sustain the order within the prison, emphasizing what Liebling calls “the use of discretion” by officers and guards. This relational component has the potential to generate humanizing environments, or, when misused, it can increase corruption, undermining state legitimacy in prisons and threatening public security.