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Boundaries and Contraband: A Key Link
Many contraband cases don’t start with smuggling—they begin with small, unnoticed breaks in professional boundaries. A casual conversation becomes too personal. A favor is done “just this once.” These seemingly minor moments can open the door to manipulation, coercion, or emotional entanglement.
Security and non-security staff, volunteers, and contractors can all be vulnerable, particularly in high-stress environments. Incarcerated individuals may exploit blurred relationships to gain access to prohibited items, promise protection or financial rewards, or use threats to manipulate those who have already stepped over the line.
Cell phones are a prime example. Devices may be brought in by well-intentioned individuals who were gradually compromised or manipulated over time. In many cases, these situations involve people who never intended to cause harm but were caught off guard due to a lack of awareness, training, or support.
Root Causes and Pressure Points
The reasons boundaries break down are often complex and systemic. Factors include:
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Chronic understaffing, leading to isolation, fatigue, and unsafe conditions
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Unstable home environments or personal stress, increasing vulnerability
- Inadequate supervision or unclear expectations
- Monetary incentives or gang coercion
- Lack of training on manipulation and red flags
- Limited engagement or connection to the facility culture
The flip side: Building professional rapport is essential to create safety, dignity and respect. Whether in secure facilities or community settings- staff, volunteers, and contractors have the opportunity to connect with the population in ways that promote prosocial engagement, supports the facility mission and encourages a reporting culture—without compromising professional standards. The key is equipping individuals with the skills they need and with the ability to discern red flags, report concerns, and interact with consistency, clarity, and confidence.
Effective Strategies to Promote Healthy Boundaries:
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Model professionalism. Demonstrate respectful, appropriate communication across all roles and interactions. Show what healthy boundaries look like.
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Promote a reporting culture. “Save a job”—encourage people to speak up when something doesn’t feel right. Provide safe, accessible ways to report or seek support.
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Empower supervisors. Engage teams regularly through shift briefings, check-ins, and an open-door approach that encourages transparency.
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Diversify training methods. Include in-person, scenario-based, and online refreshers that address real-world situations.
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Support new staff, volunteers, and contractors. Ensure onboarding includes clear expectations and support for boundary maintenance.
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Check in on each other. If something seems off with a colleague, take action. Everyone plays a role in creating a safe, professional workplace.
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Encourage self-awareness. Ask: Am I creating or supporting a culture that values healthy boundaries and professionalism?
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Review and update policy. Make sure boundary expectations are clearly outlined and reinforced for all personnel—including volunteers and contractors.
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Evaluate training relevance. Is our training addressing today’s risks, including cell phones and manipulation tactics?
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Strengthen leadership engagement. Ask: Are we doing enough to support our people in safely engaging with the population? What more can we do systemically?
Bottom Line: Strategies focused on strengthening professional boundaries can be a part of the broader strategy to reduce the introduction of contraband in facilities, reduce risk to the agency, and create a reporting culture.
TMG and The Carey Group developed a professional boundary training designed as a basic training for new employees or a refresher for seasoned employees to address some of the essential skills in establishing boundaries at work.
Learn more about this training HERE
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