Correctional Officers – Psycho or Robo Cops?

Much has been made on the characteristics of correctional officers as well as the police officer on the beat – they share many qualities alike but are different in so many ways. First there is no such thing as a profile for a prison guard or correctly addressed as a correctional officer. They are all different and in some instances they are all similar. Their personality traits are fairly obvious yet to some, they are much obscured.

Correctional officers represent a wide variety of ethnic composition and backgrounds. They come from different academia and cultural belief systems. These men and women have chosen an occupation that has many perils attached to it and are prepared to work in some of the most volatile and hostile environment known to men. For that they must either be insane or oblivious to the dangers as they volunteer to walk a beat without guns and only with guts.

In my experience I have worked with literate and illiterate officers. Some held college degrees and others barely graduated from high school but have attained a level of competence through the adaptation model and survival skill schools of hard knocks. Strangely many had hobbies that appeared to be too refined for the job such as ballet, music, and being members of a book club. The list is too long to write but would make an interesting subject to talk about when stopping to have a cup of coffee or drink while on break.

In my opinion diversity is good for any team building process. It provides different approaches, problem solving techniques and usually the same answers attained through a different thought process. Success can be measured by looking at those qualities needed in a hostile environment. Many of these characteristics may be mandatory but some can be developed over time with mentoring and training thus should not eliminate the person from the hiring process.

Looking at their personality inventory you will find following qualities in the successful officers: a. greater assertiveness on the dominance scale; social mobility; greater social poise and self-confidence; greater sense of self-worth; an independent side for autonomous achievements; better functional intelligence; better emotional intelligence; more masculine and a possession of a greater social acuity (empathy) scale.

Furthermore there are additional qualities that have been recognized to be associated with such public roles that include:  self-disciplined, socially bold, extroverted, emotionally tough and low levels to experience anxiety,

What has been found, however, is that over time, and in response to the job's demands, revelations and perspectives, a distinct personality does form within most of the otherwise unique individuals engaged in the enforcement of statutory and institutional rules and regulations. What develops over the years is a personality that is best described as: distrustful of outsiders, cynical, conservative (not necessarily politically, but rather resistant to change), suspicious, pessimistic, pragmatic and prejudicial in nature and holding other widely-shared attitudes about and beyond the mainstream view.

So how does this fit in the Psycho / Robo Cop profile? You decide but the fact is a correctional officer is much more complex than one might ever imagine.

Left 4 Dead

The ceremony was over – the flags was folded and as the trumpet played taps to close it all. There were many present to pay their last respects with thoughts of sorrow and confusion why did this happen and how could it happen when all was supposed to be safe and sound within the walls of the penitentiaries in Arizona.

While the officers wept, the suit and ties sat there motionless and with minds somewhere else. Only a few paid attention to the crowd and only a few really cared.

The epitome of two good human beings came to rest on the green grass so far from home with the gold trimmed casket six feet below as grief-stricken tears are shed for heroes that gave it all when all mattered the most.

Some say they never had a chance but they only whisper that in fear it may be heard by those that have their say. As cliché as it sounds, “We really just did our job that day," someone said out loud “but somehow it wasn’t enough.”

A somber moment, families headed out as family, friends and fellow officers gathered to pay their last respects to the fallen champion. “These were great officers” someone whispered as they bowed their heads and threw the dirt into the hole soon to be covered with green grass and a tombstone that will identify them as a father and mother and heroes to others they worked with.

No one really knows what happened for the truth will never be shared. In a letter written by the agency he worked for and read out loud to the audience at the funeral it read in part “these two young officers died a hero’s death as they performed their jobs flawlessly and took their assigned job responsibilities seriously and faultlessly.”

The letter went on to say “they were overpowered by five criminals that preyed on those wearing the uniform and badge; striking cowardly when they aren’t seen by others around while lurking in the darkened shadows.

In front of God and Duty these heroes have paid the ultimate price ……………. Their lives……..taken while still young and in their prime ..........but to those who took it we swear ………..may God have mercy on your soul as you will all hang from the gallows.”

“Although they called for help on the radio, these loud pleas went unnoticed for minutes as they struggled to stay alive. After fighting off two of the four assailants they were finally overpowered and beaten to death with their own radios and kicked, hit, punched and strangled with their own handcuffs.”

The responders, so far away yelled back at them on the radio while screaming “we are coming”………… but they had to travel a very long distance to reach the scene. There weren’t enough around to have their backs when they went into that pit of hellish danger where the devil lurks and the light is black and needed the help the most.

The responders were still a little less than two minutes away but their comrades'' spirits were crushed and the hearts had stopped beating. Running as fast as they could they reached their sides and began life saving methods but the nurse was too far away and the man-down bag was no were around.

The sadness is that the agency had played the danger ~ they knew how dangerous it was the way they were running these penitentiaries and ignored the needs of the “boots on the ground” that kept it together. Solemnly swearing all is was safe. They lied over and over to cover up their own mistakes and shortcomings as leaders for others.

It was an extremely tough day for all of them as first responders. They did an absolutely outstanding job that day trying to save their lives. They too were real heroes.

It was a challenge to convince those in power how dangerous it really was. It was a challenge to convince them that the perils were many and the staff were too few. They are told by many that “they know they are never alone – but the matter of fact is – they do work alone most of the time. Even when the odds are two hundred and fifty to two officers – they walk the gauntlet without fear yet they knew it only takes a spark to make it explode.

The agency had kept telling them “we are there to support you no matter where, no matter what, we are there for you.” They did absolutely nothing to make it safer and more secure for him and those that stand beside him.
They left them 4 dead.

Disclaimer - this may be offensive to some - to them I say you have to face realities ~
Of course we hope and pray this never happens to any of those that work inside the jails and prison but it has – too many times my brothers and sisters – too many times and the writing is on the walls.

Corrections – Crossing Boundaries

 

Crossing boundaries in Corrections is a relentless concern for both administrators and employees that work there. One must realize that such crossings come in different forms and impact the environment in many diverse ways. Unfortunately, many employees have not given the act too much concern as they don’t realize the potential effects it has on their lives, their career and their health. Whether the crossover is sexual or nonsexual, the perils still exists and creates major disruptions in their ability to perform the job assigned and the harm done towards someone’s credibility  that goes along with being a corrections employee.

Corrections employees hold many different positions that require them to intermingle with prisoners and other persons. One needs to realize the importance of maintaining a level of objectivity within their scope of duties as becoming subjective in nature will only draw them deeper into an abyss one can rarely escape from without some kind of harm or conspicuous exploitation of their existence and reputations.

Some of the immediate results of such crossings of boundaries include a prompt condemnation by co-workers for you becoming involved with an inmate or inmate’s family as their trust in you evaporates instantly. They will view you as a policy breaker and risk taker but most of all, they will consider you to have betrayed them and identify you as someone that cannot be a friend or even associate with after receiving knowledge of such dishonorable interactions.

Correctional employees denounce the concept of betrayal and breaking boundaries. It has an asserted position that cannot be reversed and forgiven no matter how much time passes by. Someone that breaks their lines with their coworkers and peers can expect rigid, cold and standoffish aloofness from their former teammates, co-workers or friends. They will lose any feelings of empathy and will be dealt with in the most destructive negative behavioral correctness that will offend many and cause them to either quit their job or ask for a re-assignment.

The most constructive way to handle such cross overs is to resign and leave the corrections field. Although that may seem a bit harsh it impacts your health and wellness much more than you might ever expected and could create hostilities that may cause harm to you or your family. The consequences are endless but nevertheless undesirable in nature. Some agencies initiate immediate misconduct reports and launch internal investigations that may reveal violations of law or your code of conduct which may result in your termination.

Remaining to work inside a jail or prison will only draw more criticism, disruptions and elevate distrust of your mere existence within the same environment as those offended. It will draw a cynicism that is harmful to your health and invokes pain and other complexities very difficult to handle and still maintain the ability to do the job correctly.

It has been known to break a person’s morale, ethics and their cornerstone practices leaving them nothing but defensive postures whenever approached by someone that asserts their role to question your integrity or purpose for doing things no matter how insignificant they may be. Regardless of what your own reasons were, these actions carry with them violations of being a reputable person and condemnation is always a sure response to your presence.

Working within the established guidelines is the best advice given in such moments where the emotional aspect may override the practical side of you. Being human you may not want to surrender your emotions to the situation but the consequences for such a submission will be sanctions designed to minimize your presence, effectiveness and existence within such a hostile setting.

It is and has always been the rule to remain focused on these boundaries that divide fairness from partiality. They are designed for a purpose and becoming emotionally involved in relationships has often been regarded as a means to satisfy your own gratifications and total disregard for the institutional concerns around you as it compromises your ability to make good decisions when you become emotionally involved in unapproved relationships.

Removing the emotional part of your job is difficult but may allow you to be switched to a role of empathy where you may still be kind and even compassionate but never delving into the abyss of sympathy or other personalized emotional qualities that draw you in to the relationship rather than a controlled interaction between two or more persons with clear defined and structured ethical visionary expectations.

Remaining focused and dispassionate in your job reduces stress as it will spiral downward when you perform within the boundaries given or provided. You will work in a less confusing and unexploited work environment making your contributions safe and comprehensive - free from unwarranted criticism as well as negative subjectivity by your peers. Although you may think you do not care what others think the impact is much more severe than you may realize when chastised and blackballed because of mistrust and betrayal issues in the workplace.

Clear and consistent boundaries provide you structured ground which you can defend based on ethical and morally sound values. It is understandable that one cannot avoid all nonprofessional interactions but relying on these boundaries to break away from any temptations is something you can depend upon at all times. Doing so will allow your integrity, your reputation and your professional judgment intact.