Criminals Play Set Up

Games Criminals Play

Games Criminals Play is a book that is meant for law enforcement professionals. Reading the book gave me a deeper understanding of criminal behavior and thinking. The book describes a series of steps known as set up that is used by the prisoners to manipulate the staff in charge. The set up can lure the police or the other correctional officers into breaking the law. From the book, we see that the prisoners develop some subtle ways that the inmates test the staff to identify if they can gain peer status and obtain what is seen as contraband.

Relevance to GED Teaching

The relevance of the book to me as a GED teacher is identification of the expectations of a correctional officer to establish custodial competence. For instance, the book presents a test for susceptibility traits. Staff who have the traits of excessive friendliness, trust and are naïve are the major targets for the inmates (Allen & Bosta, 1981). More so, the book offers a stepwise process that is used by the inmates to manipulate the correctional officers. Once identified, the inmates use specific tools exploit the staff. For example, the inmates may use factors such as creation of empathy, trust, and sympathy, uplifting of the target's ego, and allusion to sex among others (Allen & Bosta, 1981).

Setting Personal Standards

As a GED teacher, I found the book important in assisting me to establish a set of personal standards that will remain unchanged depending on the various encounters during the working experience. Indeed, the book informs an individual on the risk of becoming a victim of the inmates and directs one on how to avoid the danger. Therefore, as an employee, I intend to set clear and specific limits to avoid becoming a victim.

References

Allen, B., & Bosta, D. (1981). Games criminals play: How you can profit by knowing them. Susanville, CA: Rae John Publishers. Games criminals play: How you can profit by knowing them. Susanville, CA: Rae John Publishers.