Correctional Officer Basic Training
Hostage:
A person being held and threatened by a subject to the fulFillment of specific demands
Four Major Types of Hostage Takers:
52% "Mentally Disturbed.
Criminals trapped during a crime.
Prisoners who are rioting.
Political Terrorist who want change.
Offenders primary reasons for taking hostages.
To cause change at the facility (overcrowding, food, medical treatment, attitudes of staff,
etc.)
Transference
A behavior of a hostage. Transference is the ability of one individual to relate to another's
feelings. It can manifest itself in the following behaviors.
*The hostage develops positive feelings toward their captors.
*The hostage develops negative feelings toward the authorities and begin sympathizing with
their captors.
*The hostage takers will begin to develop positive feelings toward their hostages.
Transference is likely to occur when
Hostage situations lasts for extended periods of time, if contact between the hostage takers
and hostages is positive and the hostage takers frequently interacts with the hostages.
From a negotiation standpoint, Transference has positive and negative aspects:
*The positive, the development of transference increases the hostage's chance for survival.
*The negative, any information coming from the hostage may be unreliable.
*The negative, negotiators tend to feel anger and frustration towards the hostages.
*The negative, in a rescue attempt, a hostage cannot be counted on to cooperate with
officers, and later may refuse to testify against their captors.
Three immediate steps to be taken in a hostage situation
1. Report incident to OIC
2. Report the facts and gather data.
*Name and location of the reporter, location of the incident, nature of the situation including
the number of hostage takers, any weapon observed, etc.
3. Isolate and contain.
Hostage:
A person being held and threatened by a subject to the fulFillment of specific demands
Four Major Types of Hostage Takers:
52% "Mentally Disturbed.
Criminals trapped during a crime.
Prisoners who are rioting.
Political Terrorist who want change.
Offenders primary reasons for taking hostages.
To cause change at the facility (overcrowding, food, medical treatment, attitudes of staff,
etc.)
Transference
A behavior of a hostage. Transference is the ability of one individual to relate to another's
feelings. It can manifest itself in the following behaviors.
*The hostage develops positive feelings toward their captors.
*The hostage develops negative feelings toward the authorities and begin sympathizing with
their captors.
*The hostage takers will begin to develop positive feelings toward their hostages.
Transference is likely to occur when
Hostage situations lasts for extended periods of time, if contact between the hostage takers
and hostages is positive and the hostage takers frequently interacts with the hostages.
From a negotiation standpoint, Transference has positive and negative aspects:
*The positive, the development of transference increases the hostage's chance for survival.
*The negative, any information coming from the hostage may be unreliable.
*The negative, negotiators tend to feel anger and frustration towards the hostages.
*The negative, in a rescue attempt, a hostage cannot be counted on to cooperate with
officers, and later may refuse to testify against their captors.
Three immediate steps to be taken in a hostage situation
1. Report incident to OIC
2. Report the facts and gather data.
*Name and location of the reporter, location of the incident, nature of the situation including
the number of hostage takers, any weapon observed, etc.
3. Isolate and contain.
