The Critical Role of Legitimate Power for Prison Guards

Week 10 CJ381 Agree Completely: The Importance of Legitimate Power I completely agree with the assertion that legitimate power is a fundamental aspect of a guard's authority in prisons. Legitimate power refers to the formal authority granted to guards by virtue of their position (Hepburn, 1985). Guards are expected to command obedience simply because they hold the role of authority. To this effect, the role of a guard inherently comes with a set of expectations and responsibilities that grant them the formal right to command obedience from prisoners. However, the effectiveness of this power is contingent on prisoners recognizing the guards' authority as valid, which highlights the delicate balance between insti