Abstract
It has long been documented that prisoner deference is essential if prison officers are to effectively undertake their control functions (Sykes, Citation1958; Goffman, Citation1963). Whilst there is evidence that there exists a number of prison officer working personalities (Carrabine, Citation2004; Scott, Citation2008), it is clear that a significant number of prison officers, especially those who consider security, discipline, and control to be central to their working practices, exercise power through their personal authority (Sim, Citation2008). It is maintained in the critical literature that for such officers, a positive interaction only arises if prisoners recognise the officer's inherent superiority. This demand for an elevated form of respect can be understood as the deployment of an ‘asymmetrical status norm’ (Scott, Citation2009).