Just to piggyback with my own anecdote: do you think this ends when you’re finally in prison? NOPE. Same deal on the inside. Just change misdemeanor with “minor infraction” and felony with “major infraction.”
Source: ex CO.
Minor infractions were at my discretion and unless you were being a dick about it summarily ignored my by me. Majors I had no choice, no matter how stupid. Fortunately though it’s only on paper that I didn’t have a choice.
If I knew with confidence that what they were doing wasn’t harming anyone, and wasn’t gang related bullshit I’d just look the other way. The department can’t fault you for “missing” things.
Example would be catching someone tattooing. This often ended up with time in solitary. But if it wasn’t a gang tat, and the inmates weren’t dicks about being caught/immediately flushing all the evidence I’d just kick the tattoo artist out of the cell and the half finished tattoo is enough punishment. They’ll get it finished one way or another but it’s more funny to me than sending them to the hole, and they appreciate it most of the time. If my supervisor happened to be with me, or watching me though, you were cooked. Most understood the fact that I would protect my income over them being as I wouldn’t give a fuck literally any other time, but my hands have been tied more than once when shit should have slid by.