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…
joebouchard Assessing the organization, Staff relations
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…
joebouchard Assessing the organization, Security
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…
joebouchard Assessing the organization, Security, Staff relations
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…
joebouchard Assessing the organization, Self Scrutiny, Staff relations
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…
joebouchard Assessing the organization, Self Scrutiny, Uncategorized
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…
joebouchard Assessing the organization, Staff relations, Training
The following is an excerpt from Joe Bouchard’s keynote speech to the Wisconsin Correctional Association in September 2010. Thanks to the wonderful corrections professionals that make up this association.
I gained a little medical wisdom from my doctor recently. She and I discussed what has been described to me as my loud snoring. We sought to eliminate variables. One topic that we touched upon was my choice of pillows. She said seven words to me that started a strange chain of thinking. “A pillow is a very personal thing.”
This made perfect sense to me. And I took this phrase and applied it to the notion of family. Just like with a perfect pillow, if you are comfortable with a family, you will very likely get a good night’s sleep. If the pillow (or family) is not a good fit for you, the discomfort may keep you up at night.
There is no perfect pillow for everyone. There is no uniform panacea. There is no one-size-fits-all. If you are comfortable with a flat pillow, it does not matter if the majority prefers two fluffy pillows. What works best for you is best for you. A bad fit can be tolerated, but is less than optimal. A pillow is a very personal thing. Read more…
joebouchard Assessing the organization, Staff relations, What the...?!?
The following, Dear Reader, is not a self-congratulatory celebration of me as a working class hero. Nor is this a damnation of the work habits of people from years ago. Rather, this is an illustration of the personality type that I call “glory grabber”.
We can define glory grabbers as individuals that steal the credit from others. Their main objective is to appear to be the prime movers in all work endeavors. Their true labor is in seeming to be busy only when they are watched by those in authority. Glory grabbers impact corrections operations in a negative way. Their actions cause resentment and division among staff. And staff division, through a variety of possible occurrences, diminishes safety.
Nearly twenty-five years ago, I saw a perfect example of glory grabbers. It was March. Because of an unusually rapid snow melt, Doom Sayers were predicting horrible flooding. I was working for a small business on the edge of a large lake. Read more…
joebouchard Assessing the organization, Inside Out, Staff relations
So many problems between people are rooted in differing perspectives. The truth is relative, not absolute. In fact, the truth can be very personal.
Think of two drivers in different cars vying for one coveted parking spot. Both cars circle, waiting for an opening.
In most cases, the closest, fastest, or most aggressive driver will claim the spot. It is my understanding that there is no law against this sort of behavior. Saving parking spots, like cutting in line, is rude. But, it is not a crime. Read more…
joebouchard Assessing the organization, Self Scrutiny, Staff relations
At the American Correctional Association Conference in Chicago last week, I presented a workshop called Destination Intimidation. This dealt with recognizing bullies in correctional workplace. It was well attended by energetic and insightful participants.
At the conclusion of Destination Intimidation, I distributed a survey about the bullying topic. Almost everyone shared their knowledge. So, in the spirit of expanding the base of corrections knowledge, here is what our colleagues had to say. Read more…
joebouchard Assessing the organization, Self Scrutiny, Staff relations, Training
