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Speeding, in the eyes of the law, is speeding. If the 55 miles per hour speed limit is exceeded, it is against the law. Someone who travels at 56 mph is, technically, in the same category as those who violate at a much higher speed. They are just as guilty of breaking the law.
So, does 56 mph really equal 70 mph? The answer is “yes” and “no.” An officer’s discretion more readily allows for a warning to the former but a ticket for the latter. Conditions may also warrant flexibility in enforcement, and fines may vary according to the intensity of the infraction.
Often, we judge posted speed limits as wrong. Many times we justify that conditions permit us to push beyond the maximum. We can, after all, control speed with safety, despite the posted limit. But, should our own perception of safety be the last word in enforcement of any kind? Read more…
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joebouchard Contraband Control
For corrections professionals, firm but fair is the universal expectation. However, ‘firm’ is not so easy to attain. Despite all of our training, confrontation is often difficult to deal with. Some of us simply steer clear of disagreements due to our inherent make up. Enter the specter of avoidance management.
Avoidance management is the practice of dodging problems within your area of control with the hopes that they will just go away. Unfortunately problems left untended can blossom into something that is difficult to settle. In other words, from the tiny acorn, the mighty oak will grow. Read more…
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joebouchard Assessing the organization, Self Scrutiny, Staff relations
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It was the most terrifying twenty minutes of his life. He was confronted by three people with incessant questions. They probed his mind, issued uncomfortable silences, and bore holes through him with unblinking eyes. They held the power and simply would not relent.
Flop sweat cascaded from his forehead, an aqueous tribute to his trepidation. Conversely, his throat was dry, leaving him inarticulate. He felt immobile, caught helpless like a deer in headlights.
It was his first job interview and he remembers it like it was only a meal ago. Read more… |
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joebouchard Assessing the organization, Self Scrutiny
I felt like someone from a primitive village looking at a flash light for the first time. I was stupefied, slack-jawed and awash with utter incomprehension. I was mesmerized by the new concept. It was like seeing a wheel for the very first time. I did not invent it, and I did not fully understand it. But the 100 watt bulb over my head illuminated as I slowly understood.
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joebouchard Contraband Control
Quivering with disdain, she cleared her throat and articulated her opinion to all within earshot. “Brad may have book smarts, but he has no horse sense!” She fixed me with an unwavering stare as she made her announcement. The statement was laden with contempt, literally dripping like snow melting off a metal roof in March.
My immediate question was, “What is horse sense?”
I had heard this expression before, but it still puzzled me. Read more…
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joebouchard Self Scrutiny, Staff relations
One of the most powerful actions to evoke surprise and bitterness is the act of betrayal. Disloyalty in any area is particularly crushing when it is unexpected. That is the point at which the betrayed party is most vulnerable. Trust broken, quite simply, is hard to regain.
In corrections, we have many trust relationships. To fully cultivate trust, we must develop and maintain loyalty towards these parties: Self, Prisoners, Coworkers, and Society. Read more…
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joebouchard Self Scrutiny, Staff relations
One little rumor is like an acorn. Before you know it, the rumor grows into a huge tree with tangled roots. And like Frankenstein’s Monster, conspiracy theories come to life and rampage.
Can rumors and tabloid talk bring danger to an institution? Do those who subscribe to less reputable entertainment reports make themselves potential targets for manipulation? The answers to these questions can be quite easy to discover. It is a simple matter of observing and listening to others at work in the wake of a celebrity scandal. Read more…
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joebouchard Assessing the organization, Inside Out, Self Scrutiny, Staff relations
How often does the average person think about the motor in their car? The engine, though essential, is forgotten when it works well and without strange noises. However, when the oil light comes on in the dash board, there is a sudden sense of alarm.
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joebouchard Self Scrutiny, Staff relations
It behooves us to reach outside of corrections from time to time and draw inspirations from other sources. Mixed Mendacity, a.k.a. Two Truths is the adaptation of a wise and charming friend of mine, Ellece Campbell. This exercise is instantly applicable to the sometimes deceptive nature of our vocation.
Some people can deliver a well rehearsed lie with no shade of deceit. Others cannot perpetrate a ruse of any size. All moral discussion aside, it is true that humanity has a propensity to lie, on occasion. It may not be a surprise that we encounter proclivities from time to time in our vocation. Read more…
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joebouchard Training
egrity
Imagine two dozen freshly baked chocolate chip cookies slowly cooling in your kitchen. Their alluring aroma floats through the house. The delicious scent is absolutely enticing. It invites the notion that just one out of 24 would not be missed.
The cookies seem to call to you. You discover that you feel hungrier than you actually are. Clearly, you are tempted. Intellectually, though, you know that you promised to deliver a certain number of those cookies. Yet, the rest of you implores your conscience to allow for a deviation of principle. What’s one cookie, more or less?
What do you do? Read more…
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joebouchard Self Scrutiny
