Handbook Anatomy. Meaning and implications of Grievance.
A blog series discussing Language Quality in Correctional, Criminal Justice and Detention Communications.
When it comes to corrections facilities, the term "grievance" carries significant weight. For inmates and detainees, it represents their official means of raising concerns or complaints about conditions, mistreatment, or violations of their rights. But the grievance process doesn’t just impact detainees and inmates; it also has profound implications for facility staff.
What does "Grievance" mean?
In the detention or incarceration context, a grievance is the formal process through which an inmate or detainee can report a complaint regarding their treatment, conditions of confinement, or other issues within the facility. It offers a structured way for individuals to seek redress for their concerns while holding the institution accountable for addressing them.
Facility/Unit Staff: Why Grievance Processes Matter to Facility Employees
For facility staff, the grievance process is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it helps maintain a fair and just environment by giving inmates a voice. On the other hand, grievances, especially those related to staff behavior, can directly impact the careers, reputations, and mental well-being of corrections officers, compliance officers, business managers, and wardens. This makes the clear communication of grievances—not just by inmates, but also by staff—essential for the facility’s overall health.
Improper handling of grievances by staff can lead to internal tensions, deteriorating relationships between inmates and employees, and even legal consequences. In fact, failure to properly address grievances can lead to lawsuits, with claims ranging from mistreatment to negligence in providing adequate facilities or care.
How can "Grievance" be misinterpreted?
Given the serious nature of grievances, misinterpretation or mistranslation can have dire consequences. The word "grievance" might not be clearly understood by non-native English speakers or those unfamiliar with legal terminology. If this process is mistranslated into other languages, such as Spanish or Chinese, inmates may not fully grasp their rights or how to properly file a complaint.
In Spanish, for example, the word “queja”, even though it accurately conveys the word “grievance”, in most Spanish speaking settings, “queja” signifies a casual complaint and it does not convey the legal procedural implications as it should, which then results in inmates/detainees understanding the “Grievance” process as a way to casually speak out about an issue, instead of it being observed as a process to document and bring an issue to the facility staff.
For staff, this language barrier can also be problematic and potentially costly, both in internal and unnecessary procedures and paperwork, as well as high probabilities of escalation. Corrections officers or administrative staff who do not clearly understand the grievance process—or who are not provided with proper translations of key terms—may inadvertently mishandle a grievance, either by dismissing it improperly or escalating it unnecessarily.
Forms and documents associated with Grievance
Grievance forms are essential in any facility, outlining the steps and the documentation required to lodge a complaint. Typically, these forms require detailed information regarding the issue, time, and location of the incident, and any evidence or witness information. Clear, precise translations of these forms are critical to ensuring that all inmates and staff understand their roles and responsibilities in the grievance process.
A few examples of Grievance forms:
BOP Grievance form: https://www.bop.gov/policy/forms/BP_A0148.pdf
GA Grievance form: https://public.powerdms.com/GADOC/documents/105702
Handbook terms associated with Grievance
Several terms are closely related to the grievance process, such as:
Appeal: Inmates or detainees have the right to appeal a decision made on their grievance if they feel the issue was not resolved satisfactorily. Staff should be fully trained to guide inmates through this process.
Retaliation: Any negative consequences an inmate faces after filing a grievance are unlawful. Facility staff must be educated on these protections and ensure that inmates feel safe in filing complaints without fear of repercussions.
Remedy: The action taken to resolve the grievance, which could involve anything from better conditions to disciplinary measures against staff involved in misconduct.
Inmate and Detainee Rights, and Staff Responsibilities
From a legal perspective, inmates and detainees are entitled to a fair and transparent grievance process. Staff, in turn, are responsible for upholding these rights and ensuring that the process is handled with integrity. This is crucial for maintaining trust within the facility and preventing complaints from escalating into legal actions.
Best Practices for Facility Staff Handling Grievances
For facility staff, properly handling grievances is essential for fostering a safe and compliant environment. Some best practices include:
Language: It's never a bad idea to include your Correctional Language Expert team into a meeting involving Compliance, Business and Leadership. This will provide a precise level of insights when translating handbooks and other materials into multiple languages, thus improving the quality of communication. Send us an email, we will be more than happy to share our Language+Correctional experience with you and your team.
Clarity and Accessibility: Ensure that all grievance-related documents are translated into the primary languages spoken by the inmate population. This ensures everyone understands how to file a complaint and what happens next. Staff must be trained to understand these translations to better assist non-English speaking inmates. As an additional benefit, studies show that 1 properly translated handbook can save the facility close to 38% in live interpretation (Language Line) costs over the course of 12 months in a particular facility.
Timeliness: Address grievances promptly and transparently. Delays can cause frustration and lead to unnecessary escalation of conflicts within the facility. This applies both to inmates and the staff who may be the subject of the grievance.
Non-Retaliation Assurance: Staff should be trained to reassure inmates that filing a grievance will not lead to retaliation, and to uphold this commitment in practice. This will build a culture of trust, which benefits both inmates and staff.
Training: Staff should receive regular training on how to handle grievances, including sensitivity training for diverse language and cultural needs. Effective communication is key to reducing misunderstandings and ensuring that grievances are resolved efficiently and fairly.
Legal Ramifications: Grievances and Lawsuits
Grievances that are mishandled—or ignored—can escalate into lawsuits. In the U.S., there are numerous cases where inmate grievances turned into legal battles, costing facilities both time and money.
Data from correctional systems show that a substantial number of grievances are either dismissed or found to be unfounded, but this can lead to even more issues if inmates feel that their complaints were not given fair consideration. Common grounds for dismissal include:
Procedural Issues: Inmates not following the grievance process correctly, such as missing deadlines or providing incomplete information.
Lack of Evidence: If a grievance is not backed by sufficient evidence, it may be dismissed.
Non-Grievable Matters: Some issues, such as decisions related to disciplinary actions, are not subject to the grievance process and are dismissed outright.

Conclusion
The grievance process is a cornerstone of fairness in correctional facilities, providing a pathway for inmates to voice their concerns and hold institutions accountable. Misinterpretations or mistranslations of key terms, like "grievance," can strip away this right, leaving individuals confused or vulnerable to further injustice. Likewise, staff members play a crucial role in ensuring that grievances are handled effectively, transparently, and without retaliation. Both parties stand to benefit from a well-executed grievance process, reducing tensions and the risk of lawsuits within the facility.
With accurate translations and a proactive, educated approach from staff, facilities can create an environment where grievances are not only resolved efficiently but also serve as a tool for improvement.
In our next post, we’ll dive deeper into the contents of a Grievance section of a handbook in different contracts. Let us know what you think about this post.
This is the first in a series of posts regarding the communication, human and language implications of different components of Correctional/Detention documents, in this case, the Handbook.
I am a linguist, a techie, a dad, and an enthusiast of Corrections/Detention and everything related to communications in this field.
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