I’m back! After a break, I am pleased to begin again my columns for the Corrections Connection. Thank you, Amanda McCarthy and OmniProphis!
In my in-service jail training classes, I talk about respect. We would all like to be respected by others and not treated like children. When someone ‘talks down’ to us, we feel insulted, and sometimes angry. And when working inside a jail, we want to get along with the offenders and have that ‘smooth shift.’ To be frank, not all offenders exercise politeness when they talk to staff. However, there are many offenders in our nation’s correctional facilities and under correctional supervision (probation and parole) that respond favorably when spoken to like an adult.
It has been said that when you work in corrections, you learn to handle just about any type of person. What I learned in 27 years of working inside a jail is that I got good responses from offenders when I spoke to them like adults, and not as someone beneath me. Correctional staff is outnumbered by the number of offenders, and working short staffed is not easy. Corrections training has come a long way, and how to talk to offenders is a very important topic.
One approach that I think is useful is Verbal Judo, that advocates persuasion instead of condescension. Those of us who have supervised offenders want them to follow our orders and persuading them is good practice. But as we know not all follow persuasion and make it difficult for any corrections professional to run a unit or maintain a caseload.
A good guideline to follow can be found in Verbal Judo: The General Art of Persuasion, Updated Edition, by George J. Thompson, Ph.D., and Jerry B. Jenkins. (2013, New York: William Morrow). It includes The Eleven Things You Should Not Say to People, which can be part of any correctional staff training program. Let’s take a look at each one:
- "Come here!": We do not like to be ordered around, and offenders are no exception. Asking to see the offender or saying please come here less of a threat.
- “You wouldn’t understand!”: By saying that to an offender at the beginning of any conversation, you are implying that he or she is not capable, or smart enough to understand what you are trying to say. More bluntly, you are implying that the offender is stupid. If you want a better reaction, calmly say that you will try to explain the situation.
- “Because those are the rules,” or “that’s the way it is, so there!”: That makes you appear uncaring. People like to be told why a rule exists.
- “It’s none of your business.”: Offenders in custody or under supervision generally think that their lives are controlled by correctional staff, so a rule, a denied request, or a policy is their business. If you bluntly say that it is none of their business, Thompson and Jenkins describe this response as the ‘slam-dunk’ of verbal abuse. If you can, explain the reason for the information not being revealed. Security and safety are critical in corrections. Be in control; be guarded. They will try to trigger a response from you where you may slip up.
- “What do you want me to do about it?”: If an offender comes to you with a problem, they are looking for help. The problem may be one that you can do nothing about. If you say this, you are showing that you do not care. For example, an offender approaches you and says that he is extremely anxious about going to court in the morning, he cannot sleep, etc. By saying “what do you want me to do about it” is bluntly saying that you do not give a ‘damn’ about his situation, meaning “I don’t care.” Offenders are people and you are in the people business-like it or not. A better approach is to get someone on staff, such as mental health or the chaplain to speak to him. The offender may be thinking of suicide and is barely hanging on.
- “Calm down!”: This is an instinctive response. When arguing with an offender, or at a minimum having a serious disagreement discussion, it is easy for us to say ‘calm down!' This implies that the offender has no right to be upset, and it criticizes his or her behavior. When the offender does not calm down, you may not either. The result? Two people worked up trying to have a conversation, that turns into an argument. Stay calm and ask the offender to calmly explain the problem. Be reassuring, and do not get roped into ‘losing your cool.’
- “What is YOUR problem?”: This is combative and a challenge. It signals an adversarial ‘you vs. me’ situation. Ever see a movie where the good guy is sitting in a bar and looks over at the bad guy who says, “what are YOU looking at?” Rather, say to the offender, “what is the matter? Can I help?’ This response is calmer, and less abrasive.
- “You never listen,” or “You always argue,” etc.: This is a type of a fill in the blank statement. ‘You never clean up,’ etc., or ‘You always ignore instructions,’ etc. You are telling the offender that they do not cooperate right from the start. By saying this, you indicate that your mind is made up, and the offender thinks ‘what’s the use?’ Think before you say this.
- “I’m not going to tell you again!”: By using this phrase repeatedly, you box yourself into a corner and have only one option-action. The offender is now warned and will either react to this or try to subvert you. A better option is: “This is important, and it is important that you understand this. So I will tell you, and please listen carefully.”
- “I’m doing this for your own good!”: When you say this to offenders, they generally may reply with a sarcastic ‘Oh sure-I bet.’ They ask how do YOU know what is for their own good? This is one to stay away from. A better approach is offering reasons and showing the offender how choosing to go along with you can make life easier. In corrections facilities, officers and juvenile counselors give orders on housing assignments, refraining from horseplay; probation and parole officers (POs) advise offenders to follow a course of action, such as participating in a program. This approach worked for me in the jail; I told offenders if they refused an order, I would call backup, we would move them to restricted housing, and they will be charged with a disciplinary violation. Life for them will be much different. A PO may say to a probationer that successfully participating in a substance abuse program could benefit the offender in court, etc.
- “Why don’t you be more reasonable?”: This invites conflict, as no one likes to be told that they are unreasonable. To them, they are reasonable. The better approach is for you to be more reasonable. You can reassure them by saying “let me see if I understand what you are saying.” You can also paraphrase what they are saying. This tells them that you are listening and trying to work on a solution.
In closing, corrections is a profession where staff learn to deal with many different types of people using many different methods. In the hectic, stressful, fast-paced world of corrections, there are emergencies, conflicts, and dangerous situations. What has been discussed here may not work all of the time. However, most daily interactions with offenders are conversations and requests. These guidelines will hopefully give you, the corrections professional some good advice.
Reference:
Thompson, George J., PH.D., and Jerry B. Jenkins. (2013). Verbal Judo: The General Art of Persuasion, Updated Edition. William Morrow.
1st Lt. Gary F. Cornelius retired from the Fairfax County, Virginia Office of the Sheriff after 27 years of service. His assignments included confinement, classification, work release, planning and policy development and jail programs. He taught corrections at George Mason University from 1986-2018. He teaches jail in-service classes throughout Virginia and has presented training for Lexipol and Justice Clearinghouse. He has authored several books on corrections, including Stressed Out: Strategies for Living and Working in Corrections, Third Edition (2024) from Carolina Academic Press and The High-Performance Correctional Facility: Lessons in Correctional Work, Leadership and Effectiveness (2022) from the Civic Research Institute. He resides in Williamsburg, Virginia.
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