Officially, agencies communicate through memoranda, operating procedures, policy directions and the chain of command. Unofficially, we exchange information through less than formal communications vines. Word of mouth is a very common manner. Communications of all sorts drive our actions. Of the many things that safety is contingent on, communications should never be overlooked.
Of course, staff are not the only group in our institution that exchange information. Offenders drive the engines of their unofficial economies with information. Code, graffiti, and snowffiti are some ways that they do this.
One of my custody mentors told me a story of a green thumbed individual. My mentor related the tale of horticultural handiwork of a convicted gardener extraordinaire. Read more…
joebouchard Contraband Control, Training
Almost all of us mellow with age. In corrections, the trend is seen in many offender’s files. Normally, there’s a large chunk misconduct reports issued early on in the incarceration. As the offender spends time in the system, the tickets typically (though not necessarily always) diminish.
Perhaps the same is true of most staff. We tend to write fewer tickets as our careers proceed. There are many reasons for this. We develop other valid manners of gaining compliance. Of course, the natural course of aging is also an agent of change.
But there are some offenders who seemed to earn copious misconduct reports no matter the place in their incarceration. Read more…
joebouchard Security, Self Scrutiny, Training
Someone who wears formal clothing or an official uniform usually commands respect, correct? Would a person who wears a knit polo shirt look more authoritative than someone in a T-shirt? Most would answer these questions with yes. Of course, the question of authority runs much deeper than that.
A friend and colleague of mine (in fact, the one and only Gary Cornelius) posed the question to me that put me on that track of thinking. Do custody staff in general have to overcome an obstacle when they are trained by programs or support staff person? In Gary’s words, would they ask, “why should I listen to you if you don’t wear a badge?” Read more…
joebouchard Self Scrutiny, Staff relations, Training
Without a doubt, it was one of the strangest greetings that I have ever experienced. Clearly, she was transformed. Her large gray/green eyes shone brightly and her face was glowing. Her expression reminded me of the face of a child who had just opened history’s best birthday present. In a voice laden with unmistakable enthusiasm, she exclaimed, “Look at my new robot!” Her smile was
an enigmatic twist, a mingling of pride, wonder, and jubilation.
What I saw was a gray disc methodically traversing every square inch of my carpet. This 24 inch motorized vacuum was no thicker than a 1,200 page book and probably lighter. No, this was not a humaniform robot as depicted in an Isaac
Asimov novel. But, it certainly was a useful tool.
New tools can be wonderful. Their very existence allows us to save labor and even enjoy an otherwise mundane day. But is the future always brighter? Will the new wonders break down? Will we take for granted what was previously marvelous?
Will everyone welcome changes with open minds and arms? Read more…
joebouchard Assessing the organization, Staff relations, Training
What seems to be is not always what is. Our actions are not necessarily reflective of the results. Here is an example.
“He’s working very hard to avoid work.”
That is a familiar phrase that applies to almost any vocation. And most of us have encountered someone like this at some time. An instance of this is someone who buries themselves in the low priority task of sharpening dozens of pencils while the imminence of finishing the pay roll is looming. It is sad, but it is true. Some people will work hard on non-essentials in order to avoid harder work that is necessary. Read more…
joebouchard Assessing the organization, Security, Self Scrutiny
This story seems too strange to be real. Yet, those who know me are aware of my reputation for telling the truth. When I got home from the ACA conference last August, there was a small bat trying to stay afloat in the ten gallon fish tank. The goldfish was still there, but the additional creature vexed me.
The bat, clearly out of its element, flapped furiously as I used the net to liberate it from a watery doom. Mindful of the potential of rabies, I maneuvered it into a plastic cup and released it into a dark bush. Read more…
joebouchard Self Scrutiny, What the...?!?
(Author’s note: These and other corrections truisms can be found in “Wake up and Smell the Contraband” 2nd edition by LRP Press.)
Just like job philosophies, with truisms you do not have to agree whole-heartedly with every aspect. Where those with diametrically opposed viewpoints debate, they can often nod comfortably on individual points of wisdom. Corrections truisms transcend vocational philosophies. When at the vocational buffet of advice, you have choices. Read more…
joebouchard Assessing the organization, Staff relations, Training
(Author’s note: These and other corrections truisms can be found in “Wake up and Smell the Contraband” 2nd edition by LRP Press.)
Corrections truisms are the voices of experience from our vocational past. They are part of our living culture. Information gained from many hard fought battles is encoded in each verbal knowledge nugget. As we repeat these to newer colleagues, we are transmitting part of our profession. What tumbles from our mouths today may serve as a cornerstone of corrections philosophy in the future. Read more…
joebouchard Assessing the organization, Self Scrutiny, Staff relations, Training
Crop-circling – Of course, there are many documented crop circle events that were nothing more than hoaxes achieved by bona fide human pranksters. I am sure that with each tongue in cheek exercise, the aftermath is always interesting to watch. Certainly, there are many laughs from the perpetrators as they see frantic interviewees declare that an invasion in nigh. Read more…
joebouchard Self Scrutiny, Staff relations
Whether it be a long climb or an outstanding view from on high, what you see is a matter of where you are. Perception is a matter of perspective.
For example, those who consider themselves as realists are often branded as cynics by optimists. Avowed pessimists will label those self-reported realists as too hopeful. Despite the many perspectives, it is agreed that every worksite has a skeptic, one who doubts almost anything unless presented with compelling proof. Read more…
joebouchard Assessing the organization, Self Scrutiny, Staff relations
