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
We hear a lot of stories from the Cold War era. Did you hear the one about the guy who walked past a check point each day with a wheelbarrow full of dirt? Every day, rain or shine, like clockwork at 0600, he would approach the check point.
Assuming the position, he would watch passively as the officer at the entry station shoveled through the dirt. Though he looked every day, the officer never found contraband. Each day at 1730 (again, like clockwork) the worker would return through the gates with nothing in hand. A search of his person by the same officer revealed nothing. Read more…
joebouchard Contraband Control
This is how it works. I am you in your future. I am contacting you at the beginning of your/our career to give you some encouraging words. Consider it an inter-dimensional aspect to your training. Through the magic of time travel (the physics boggle my mind) this letter will come to you as you begin your first day in corrections.
This is a bridge to the future. Consider it a gift to my younger self and an investment toward success. I feel obliged. Without you, I would not exist as who I now am.
You really should listen to me. I know what I am talking about. And besides, if you can’t trust yourself, who can you trust? Here are a few points that you should consider as you walk the long and convoluted road of your career. Read more…
joebouchard Self Scrutiny, What the...?!?
By Paul Eyke M.S.
Psychologist
These are the opinions of Paul Eyke and not necessarily those of the Michigan Department of Corrections. The department is not responsible for the content or accuracy of the following.
Correctional systems since their inception have been tasked with the responsibility of “rehabilitating” inmates who were in their charge. There have been periods of enlightened correctional thinking in which inmates were provided with educational and vocational training in order to better prepare them for life after they left prison. Read more…
joebouchard Guest Author
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
