Our professor looked into the full classroom and assessed her students. She said without a hint of merriment on her person: “Always remember this: Six equals sex”.
Puzzled, many of us snickered. More of us did not comprehend. She went on to explain: “Your spell check on your computer is a wonderful thing. However, it does not check for content or logic. If you mean to type ‘six’ but type ‘sex’, the computer will not see ‘sex’ as out of place or misspelled.”
I thought of this and the horrible consequences of that particular example. Let’s imagine that I am writing a proposal. I may intend to solve the problem with six ideas. However, what would the reader think if I write, “This challenge can be met with these sex ideas.” By nature, I am a problem solving writer, not some libidinous scribbler. It pays to proofread. Read more…
joebouchard Training
Belligerence is rather easy to spot. It can come in the form of aggressive driving patterns, cutting in front of others in a line, a dirty look, or a terrorist act against our largest city. Clearly, aggression comes in many degrees.
However, some instances of hostility are better planned and better timed than others. And inside corrections facilities, we have many opportunities to witness the nuances.
Time aggression is the act of executing a precisely planned hostile incident. Read more…
joebouchard Self Scrutiny, Training
A big part of how order and safety are maintained in our facilities is through staff’s ability to deliver clear and concise instructions. Do we always understand this? Are we sometimes derailed by ambiguous statements? Are we thwarted by the nebulous expectations of others? Read more…
joebouchard Training
What sort of trainer would use a children’s book to teach a lesson? Is it possible to break the ice, establish trust, and impart a lesson while talking in rhymes? It may sound strange, but I have facilitated excellent classroom discussions and shattered tons of ice by reading Dr. Seuss books to adults.
Think back to your most eccentric, unusual teacher. Chances are that you may have a few to select from. You may remember that the individual had strange mannerisms, an interesting mode of speech, or other uncommon characteristics.
Still, the instructor may have been unusual in delivery of material. Read more…
joebouchard Staff relations, Training, What the...?!?
Let’s face it, those who work in any segment of the criminal justice system need to know about criminal thinking. This is crucial vocational armor that takes the surprises out of many unusual behaviors that practitioners will witness in the field.
Is there a quick and easy way to get students talking about the many deviant behaviors? Can we make them more interested in the topic?
“The Anti-Socials” is a good introduction to anti-social thinking and behavior. Read more…
joebouchard Training
“You have a twisted mind. But, that is a good thing.” That is not some cheesy line from a Cheesy 1980’s B-movie. It is a vocational truism. And it is the basis of this icebreaker.
A good way to jump start a module on security awareness is to give the following introduction. Read more…
joebouchard Contraband Control, Training
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What makes a leader? Are they born with natural ability to guide others? Or do all have an equal chance to learn and apply leadership fundamentals? Is leadership part innate ability and part acquired skills? Certainly, both sides of the nature or nurture argument have strong proponents. Like the classic chicken or egg question, this query may never be answered.
One thing is certain: One does not have to be high in the chain of command to guide others. Many corrections line staff have considerable influence on their peers. Their confidence, reputation, knowledge and hard work are some of the factors that make these de facto leaders an important commodity. Read more…
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joebouchard Staff relations, Training
Recently, Institutional Training Officer Mike Plourde, developed a module called “Con Games”. “Con Games” addresses some of the ruses and manipulation that may be executed on corrections staff. He paired that with Joe Bouchard’s module “Wake up and Smell the Contraband”, encompassing the whys and hows of illicit activities inside the walls of corrections facilities. Part of that module which deals with trepidation because of manipulation is presented here. 
Read more…
joebouchard Guest Author, Self Scrutiny, Staff relations, Training
H1N1, economic woes, and wars fill our minds. As a public, we have so much on our collective plates. Yet this stress has been the status quo for so long. Add those concerns to the daily duties of any corrections professional. As a matter of course, all corrections staff face the possibility of grievances, litigation and assaults. Daily interaction with those who, quite frankly, are not easy to deal with is also a major stressor.
Certainly, we seem resilient enough to deal with the many challenges on and off the job. However, there is ample evidence that suggests we endure a cumulative, crippling harm due to stress. Read more…
joebouchard Self Scrutiny, Training
A note from Joe Bouchard:
What do Jails and Prisons have in common? The answers are as varied as the number of professionals who offer their wisdom. One thing that we can agree on is this: The experience of staff taken captive is one all should hear and consider. Our colleague from Kenton County Kentucky, Scott Colvin shares this thought provoking article with us.
“THE CAPTIVE’S HOUR”
FORMER LUCASVILLE HOSTAGE LARRY DOTSON BRINGS HIS STORY HOME TO KENTUCKY (AS PROMISED)
BY Chief Deputy G.S. Colvin, CJM, Kenton County, Kentucky
HEADLINES April 12th 1993: “Convicts siege Ohio Prison” “guards taken hostage at Lucasville”. These are but (2) headlines of the nation’s heralding that a hostage situation and prison takeover had developed at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility (SOCF) in Lucasville Ohio, there was death, and mayhem –disaster and sadly there were (11) individual officers taken hostage, marking their first day of captivity of the longest Correctional Hostage situation in American history. Read more…
joebouchard Guest Author, Training
