Did you ever encounter a consistently helpful colleague who suddenly ceases cooperation? The person who seemed to happy help out now quietly refuses to assist as before. Perhaps the change came because the person feels unappreciated. But the resulting behavior is a good example of passive aggression.
One of the biggest discourtesies in the work world is passive aggression. In corrections, it can become unobtrusive sabotage that also infects others with the spirit of disunity. As we all know, our squabbles amongst ourselves become weak points for enterprising prisoners to exploit. In short, when we mistreat each other with passive aggression, we allow a possible break in security. Read more…
joebouchard Self Scrutiny, Staff relations, Training
Bullies are a problem in the work place. They coerce, manipulate and force others in order to further their agendas. Their presence in any worksite upsets the delicate balance of production and staff harmony. And in corrections, the danger is intensified. With so much safety at stake than a more traditional job, corrections staff need to assess the issue of bullies. Otherwise, the safety of staff, offenders, and the public is diminished.
I admit that it is a bit unorthodox, but I can imagine a wildlife documentary featuring bullies as the topic. Read more…
joebouchard Staff relations, Training
Corrections – the domain of the ever vigilant. We have eyes that never close, watchful and intent. We watch for patterns, the unexpected, and the many nuances of human nature.
Part of human nature is the need to gain advantages over who you might consider your adversary. Consider how you might watch, for example, the signs of someone trying to render you flustered. Here are a few methods that enterprising antagonists might use to knock you off your square. How many of these have you experienced? Read more…
joebouchard Security, Training
If you were to ask a correctional trainer “How do you eat an elephant?” chances are you’ll get the answer “One bite at a time.”
E-training does not have to rigidly exist as an entire week of staff perched in front of computers. Quite simply, that pachyderm-sized chunk of time can be broken down into smaller, more manageable units. And the training can be done with a versatility hitherto not seen.
I have no way of knowing if this conversation ever took place. But, let’s turn the clock back 40,000 years. Imagine that two pre-bronze age trainers are discussing the pros and cons of hunting a large mammoth or mastodon. Read more…
joebouchard Training
It is clear that Pre-release mock job interviews offer direct benefits to inmate students and their teachers. The former gains confidence from the successful completion of the interview itself. The latter can attribute part of the students’ success to their abilities as instructors.
But the indirect benefits are rarely examined. Custody staff benefit from prisoners participating in vocational education in the same ways that programs enhance security. A busy, productive prisoner body eases tensions in the facility. And all prisoners are permitted to feel hope from the promise of another program that supports reintegration. Read more…
joebouchard Training
The stage was set. The class was divided into two competitive teams. Each team was provided with a sock and a small metal container filled with mints [i]
In a purposely vague manner, I told them that the sock and the tin of mints were all that they could use to construct a weapon (or weapons). They had fifteen minutes to complete their task.
The only other rule was that they had to conceal their work whenever I was within arm’s length of their work area. As I “made rounds”, the students were very creative in camouflaging, making distractions, and keeping me oblivious of their craftsmanship.
While making a round to the team that dubbed themselves “The Average Joes”, I was knocked off my square (albeit briefly) by what I saw. Read more…
joebouchard Contraband Control, Training, What the...?!?
Our inability to understand transforms us into helpless actors on the stage, unable to read the cue cards. When we hear words and do not understand them, our audience is aware of this. That dilutes our effectiveness and lessens our professional credibility.
The slang that one hears in a correctional facility can be very vexing and confusing at times. Read more…
joebouchard Training
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
Idioms are phases that are colorful. They enliven the language, making reading and conversation more interesting. The phrase “babble like a brook” is a colorful way to express the notion of a person who is enthusiastic yet somewhat incoherent.
Unfortunately, any figure of speech, idioms, and clichés, and even “normal” phrases will not always translate clearly from one language to another. Read more…
joebouchard Training
Corrections staff have a vocationally acquired inclination to think about security issue around the clock. This behavior does not automatically end when we leave the institution for the day. It is simply always on our minds.
I don’t know if this happens to everyone, but it seems to always happen to me. Whenever I travel, I can usually count on news of trouble in the air or in an airport. For example, while in the Milwaukee airport on the way back from the Winter ACA conference, I saw the story of Sully’s heroic landing on the Hudson River. And to end 2009, the attempted destruction of a plane from Amsterdam to Detroit occurred. I saw that on the television just before I was en route to the Orlando airport. Read more…
joebouchard Self Scrutiny, Training
