For over four decades, Allen & Bosta's book "Games Criminals Play" has been considered essential reading for correctional staff for its emphasis on manipulation detection and rigid boundary protection. This presentation proposes a trauma-informed reframing of "games" as trauma responses shaped by chronic stress, deprivation, inequity, and patient/staff/custody dynamics. The speakers offer practical tools, drama-triangle disruption, and team supports to improve interpersonal dynamics in corrections and provide suggestions for orientation/training that clarifies boundaries while strengthening safety, dignity, ethics, and staff sustainability.

Educational Objectives

• Identify three unintended consequences of a manipulation-centric "games" mindset
• Translate trauma-informed principles into concrete boundary-setting techniques and communication strategies
• Formulate practices that could generate a shift from punitive to therapeutic responses to challenging behaviors

Level: Intermediate