PEN2604 Portfolio October Exam 2021
, Section A
1.1
1.1.1 Resistance to change
Many people's lives are characterized by change. People dislike change because it
forces them to deal with the unknown, while they would rather deal with the known.
Law enforcement organizations, particularly correctional services, must deal with
ongoing change. If changes are not brought about by technology advancements,
they are brought about by new court judgements, organizational changes, and other
factors. One of the primary sources of conflict in law enforcement institutions is the
constantly changing and often uncertain environment, as well as the staff's lack of
adequate training, orientation, or change readiness. A lack of resources to
implement change, such as a new shift pattern, could also be a factor in change
resistance.
During the 1990s, the South African Department of Correctional Services (DCS)
demilitarized. The resulting tension resulted in a large-scale migration of experienced
individuals via early retirement, severance packages, and even resignation. The
majority of those who left the DCS were invariably replaced by less experienced
employees, who were also dealing with internal and even interpersonal turmoil at the
time.
1.1.2 Inner causes or individual issues
Correctional officials have inner conflict due to a number of factors because
correctional services are conflict-intensive and conflict-loaded environment and a
lack of knowledge, criticism and pressure from elders leads to inner conflict. Inner
conflict is usually present in groups and effects the group. An example would be that
a prison warden takes out his personal home life frustrations on his work colleagues,
causing a negative work environment. The correctional official must ensure that
he/she does not let perceptions to stir up inner conflict within themselves, or to give
rise to conflict with colleagues, inmates, and members of the public.
Duffee (1989:454) states that a profession in correctional services is not always a
first choice of someone who ends up working as correctional officials. Due to South
Africa’s high unemployment rate, lack of jobs and the fact that it is easy to get into
correctional services, this occupation is chosen as a last result, resulting in the
individual no taking pride in their job and having many inner conflicts due to that,
thus implying that the fact that individuals are trapped in a job that they did not want
due to it being a last resort is itself a source of inner conflict.
Correctional services managers must continuously urge correctional officials to
develop a positive attitude towards work. Bannerman (2009:2) suggests that inner
sources of conflict should be the last factor that needs to be explored when conflict
arises. She claims that conflict is commonly considered as a problem within an
individual, although structural factors, such as promotion and training procedures,
may be the root of the conflict. The conflict may occur because someone has been
