As corrections professionals, we should always be aware that those outside the profession do not have our same perspective. Our many different professional paths and experiences make this a truth. There is another awareness connected to this. We will react in some way (silent or not) to comments that do not appear to be accurate. Sometimes this may lead to an introspective stream of thought.
Recently, I attended a meeting at an education institution, a non-corrections meeting at a college. Read more…
joebouchard Inside Out, Self Scrutiny
It is no secret that corrections staff place their lives on the line every day. Everyone in the profession – officers, support staff, programs professionals and administrative personnel – work in a potentially dangerous place. These are the few who are equipped to face peril on a daily basis and keep staff, offenders and the public safer.
In another sense, there is a group of corrections professionals who literally become a life enhancing part of the public. In a very real way, they give their life essence to those who need to maintain and prolong health and life. These are the staff who donate blood. Read more…
joebouchard Dear Reader, Self Scrutiny
Do horns and halos coexist on the same person? Can one be a devil and an angel at once? Can one operate in a consistent nature in dual modes? Is there a thin line between professionalism and jealousy? These questions can be answered by looking into the phenomenon of the Performance Bully.
Bullies hold sway over their victims through coercion. The most common type, the physical bully, threatens to administer pain. And most bullies of other varieties gain power over others through delivery of something unpleasant. However, there is an agent of intimidation who does the opposite. The threat is to withhold something from the target. This is a common tactic of the performance bully. Read more…
joebouchard Assessing the organization, Self Scrutiny, Staff relations
Sometimes, we perform a task so often that we can do it with our eyes closed. In fact, if not for change, we could cruise along in perpetuity in a blindfold. Yet, that is a perfect world. As reality teaches us, the world does not stand still for anyone.
Did you ever hear the one about the Hummingbird and the Raven? I think that it is a good story that illustrates the dynamics of how we adapt to change. Read more…
joebouchard Assessing the organization, Self Scrutiny
As children, many of us believed that our problems would be gone when we reached the magical milestone of adulthood. Of course, we discovered that this ideal was not the real. In addition, we found that there was just an exchange of sets of problems. Challenges in different phases of life do not go away; Often, they differ from prior phases.
Are the problems of a newbie in corrections the same as veteran staff? The easy answer is “no. Does that mean that seasoned correctional staff have all of the answers? Is there, just as in the difference from childhood and adulthood, a difference in the sets of challenges?
I believe that seasoned staff who are honest with themselves and their colleagues have earned the right to say, “I know a few things from my experience inside”. Read more…
joebouchard Self Scrutiny, Training
About six years ago, I was contacted by a Deputy Warden who works in the same agency as I work. She asked me if I had any resources on bully control. As I am a librarian by trade, I did my best to meet her information needs. And I believe that those resources assisted in crafting an excellent training session.
That fueled some curiosity in me about the topic. Prior, I thought about bullies as existing in adult form. Certainly, the bully mentality is not outgrown and left on the playground. Professionals just happen to use more sophisticated versions of the behavior. And the issue of offenders who use intimidation came to mind, as well. Read more…
joebouchard Assessing the organization, Self Scrutiny, Staff relations
Decisions and pranks are similar: No two are exactly alike. Every practical joke has the potential to evoke many different reactions. Much of this is due to the multitude of circumstances.
Yet, mischief seems to be a part of our human condition. As playful incidents roll in with the undulating regularity of ocean waves, many questions arise. Are these jokes wholly bad? Do pranks have any benefits? How much is too much? Read more…
joebouchard Assessing the organization, Self Scrutiny, Staff relations, What the...?!?
I once heard something to the effect that with three people you have a clique and a potentially disenfranchised person. It doesn’t take much to create an exclusive group. Some groups believe that they are better than others. Unfortunately, it is a part of how human beings operate.
Many factions exist in our vocation. Perhaps clique is the most appropriate word for this. One could argue that the phrase subgroup is a reasonable substitution. There is an important distinction between clique and subgroup. Read more…
joebouchard Assessing the organization, Self Scrutiny, Staff relations
It was an intimidating stack of paper that accumulated during my absence from work. It was roughly the same dimensions as three large law books. Though the pile of paper was an inanimate object, it seemed to mock me. Like it or not, I had to deal with the tedious task of filing. I had no choice but to assail Paperwork Mountain.
Despite our steady movement into the digital age, corrections still runs largely on paper. And while we may one day bid adieu to paper, do not count on this happening in this part of the decade. Read more…
joebouchard Security, Self Scrutiny, What the...?!?
Coaxing is to persuasion as coercion is to bullying.
Persuasion is a tool to get others to do your bidding. It can be done at work through legitimate forms. It is seen in sales. Persuasion turned malevolent transforms into bullying. It is the more subtle sibling of force or intimidation.
Recently, I attended a time share presentation and I saw persuasion in action. Read more…
joebouchard Self Scrutiny
