Reentry correctional facilities play a critical role in preparing inmates to successfully transition back to the community. Part of this role includes providing a structured program, which allows for gradual transition from prison life to the community through work, education, and counseling programs. Little research reveals how correctional officers (COs) maintain control and promote rule compliance within a reentry environment. Using administrative, survey, and ethnographic data, we examine how COs in a reentry-focused prison manage the inmate population. Correctional officers do not report using misconducts in surveys and observations, but administrative data reveal staff often use formal misconducts even for minor infractions. The number of accumulated misconducts an inmate received, seriousness of the current violation, and officer tenure significantly relate to the severity of present misconduct outcomes. Considering the mission and goals of reentry facilities, this study has significant implications for the reentry process and inmate experience.
