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The corrections work world has enough pitfalls and hazards without our adding to it. However, that sentiment does not simply eliminate division in the ranks. No matter our good intentions, circumstances and a mix of personalities will always produce staff discord.
Unfortunately, we do not always see the signs. Read more…
One morning as I entered the secure perimeter of our facility, I smelled the unmistakable odor of a skunk. Its pungent melodiousness cut through the normal facility smells. I offer the word “Pew!” for those who seek a more direct description.
Word was that there was once a skunk roaming between our security fences. Staff and prisoners alike were wary of our guest, fearful that they would be the target of some potent unpleasantly. Read more…
Nothing ever happens in a small town. Main Street, U.S.A. is pretty much boring. Well, most of the time…
After living in a metropolitan area with a population of over 4 million, coming to a town of less than 2,500 people was a bit of a change for me. I was fascinated by how quickly information travels through the village and in surrounding areas. It seemed that everyone knows everyone else’s business. Even if you are not hiding anything in particular, this can be a bit unnerving.
Before this begins to sound like the grievances of a cynical recluse, Read more…
There are some staff dynamics that look uncomfortable to the untrained eye. However, many seemingly contentious exchanges are really the expressions of respect. In other words, this is an instance of professional blazing meant in the best of ways.
One of my favorite out-of-state colleagues recently attended a presentation that I conducted about effective icebreakers and group activities. There were two good dynamics in this for me. First, this colleague is an accomplished trainer and would certainly offer good, constructive suggestions to me at the conclusion. Second, the person in question is my all-time favorite sparring partner. She is an incomparably adept blazer, playful and unyielding. Read more…
No one really thinks about a bench when it is not used. Its utility is not usually heeded until it is needed. Perhaps prison programming staff are like a bench.
At times, programming staff suffer professional identity crises. On one hand, these people have been hired to perform specialties. (Librarians, Teachers, Athletic Directors, Chaplains, etc.) On the other hand, they work in a non-traditional professional framework, the paramilitary structure. This is a setting where security supersedes service. Therefore, the programs staff often feel vocationally unimportant in the institutional scheme of things.
This has a potentially detrimental, yet overlooked impact on the facility’s operations. It leads to increased staff divisiveness, lower productivity, absenteeism, and a rapid turn over of staff that are difficult to recruit. Prisoners can capitalize on such weaknesses and compromise the security of any institution.
But, it is up to the non-custody staff to assail professional ambiguity. Read more…
The cat’s fur stood on end to make it appear larger and fiercer…
The little dog barked loudly, from the safe side of the fence…
The man sucked in his stomach as the woman on the beach walked by…
These are three common behaviors in nature. We cannot suppose that animals who try to appear formidable or fit do so for any other reason than to ward off predators. Even the beach enthusiast in the example has an instinctual reason to promote a not entirely true image of physical fitness.
But there are times that people perform in order to project a truth. Some of those times, the performer is only convincing herself or himself of that image. That is an instance of self-delusion or image ruse. Read more…
Recently, I presented “Eating the e.training elephant” in Boston for the International Association of Correctional Training Personnel. I was part of a three person team which also included Rachel Donovan and Laura Noonan, both from corrections.com.
The main theme was that by using e.training agencies can have more flexibility. It was based on the old question, “How do you eat an elephant?” The answer is, “one bite at a time.” Read more…
Some of us are, for a lack of a better term, rocks. We have the confidence to stay in the middle of the stream, facing the steady flow of water in an unwavering manner. True, pressures of the flow erode confidence for many. But, resolute strength keeps the confident in the game. 
Read more…
Integrity is often considered a difficult, lofty concept. Really, it can be defined in simple terms: doing the right thing, telling the truth, being dependable and professional, etc. Integrity occurs in a variety of examples. Sometimes we need to look a little bit beneath the surface to benefit from the lesson.
I have a friend who was recently called to be a juror. Hers was not a case of zipping down to the local court for a quick session of voir dire. The call came from the Federal Court, some seventy miles distant from her house. Read more…
Giving someone a meal will keep hunger away for a day. But to teach a person to fish can keep hunger away forever. The role of a true mentor is to plant the seeds of capability and knowledge in fertile ground.
When the experienced become mentors, corrections has a potentially potent tool for staff training. Granted, policy and procedure are written cues on how any new person should perform. But experience-laden advice about how most prisoners are likely to react to any given situation is also very valuable. Read more…