Criminal manipulation

Although I do not work in a correctional facility, I do work with many people who have usually had some involvement with the criminal justice system therefore can be extremely manipulative. I got some very helpful tips on dealing with this today so I did a Google search and found this fascinating article:

Manipulation in Prisoner-Guard Relationships
By: Joseph H. Baskin M.D.

In prison, empathy usually runs one way.

News articles detailing inappropriate relationships between inmates and prison workers crop up with more regularity than you might expect. Corrections officers (COs) and social workers, with the most frequent contact, are at highest risk. But anyone can get caught up in a situation fraught with job loss and potential criminal charges.
How does such a thing happen?  From the outside, it seems ridiculous to even contemplate.  But it occurs so often that new hires are given detailed warnings about scenarios that can arise, from romances to smuggling in contraband (drugs, tradeable items, miscellanea).   
Let’s start with those who do not spend their overnights in prison.  Motives for working in corrections range.  It is a steady job with decent benefits. In many locales, a corrections officer can work for a set number of years and retire with a pension and still be young enough to pursue other careers.  Prison work can attract those who find law enforcement exciting.  Lastly, there are those who harbor their own criminal personality traits.  
Regardless of the motivation, once enmeshed in the work, circumstances arise to tempt the worker. The battle against contraband is constant.  A highlight of my orientation was an impressive collection of paraphernalia confiscated over years.  Many were makeshift weapons, but inmate ingenuity to solve problems with limited resources rivals the work of Edison and MacGyver.  

It stands to reason that inmates will seek out those folks who have free nightly egress and can procure anything desired.  Prisoners have one commodity in abundance: time.  A devious and clever con can spot a weakness in a worker, plant a seed, and be patient enough to allow it to blossom.  They use pity or the compassion of their quarry with which to lure them. Or, if circumstances allow, the inmate can present himself at a time of vulnerability and either be a support or use the event to blackmail.  
Empathy generally runs one way in prison. Social workers and corrections officers who are particularly kind (and naïve, if this is their first time in close contact with antisocial personalities) can be susceptible to the wiles of a seasoned inmate.  Those with psychopathy are particularly charming as I detailed in my last post.  Pulling at the prison worker’s heartstrings over time can lead to romantic feelings. Duration is the key.  The patience demonstrated by these inmates is the difference between a scheme coming to fruition and being written off as deception. 
We bring our own vulnerabilities to work.  Some days we are raw, whether due to incidents with loved ones, financial troubles, or health concerns.  During these times our guard is naturally lowered.  A psychopath hunts to exploit these chinks in the armor.  The victim usually isn’t foolish or nefarious, but susceptible to overtures and the right type of manipulation. If possible, the inmate will seek to perform a favor for the employee and that can snowball into being at the mercy of the psychopath.
Reports of incidents provide details of incidents ranging from smuggling drugs and sexual relationships to helping an inmate escape.  What they don’t include is the crescendo that inevitably led to the climax.  It is in those details, especially the personalities of the principles (both inmate and worker), where we can understand why such a thing happened.  Despite everyone’s best efforts, we will continue to read about these occurrences with incredulity.