Controlling Inmates Demands

You are a correctional manager at State Correctional Center.  Tyler Johnson, an inmate at State Correctional Center. Wants to control where he is housed.

Every time he is placed in a housing unit he doesn’t like. Johnson alleges that he’s going to commit suicide.  This actions forces correctional staff to follow policy and place Johnson back in a close supervision unit. Where he will remain on constant watch.

While Johnson is housed in this unit. He informs mental health staff members that he had no plans to commit suicide and was only attempting to control where he was housed.  Staff in the mental health unit then inform you in administration of the facility. That Johnson is merely ‘playing the system;’ but abiding by policy, Johnson is moved again to another housing unit.

Custody staff informs you that a trend has been started. And that if they continue to entertain this inmate’s apparent whims, other inmates may also begin to follow in his footsteps.  The question custody staff has started asking facility administration is what should they do to prevent a number of inmates from claiming they will kill themselves in order to control where they are housed?

Answer the following question fully and completely (one to two paragraphs) in this written assignment:

What should you, as a correctional supervisor, tell your staff to do in this sort of situation?