Topic: A Broader View / A Troubled Jail, Divided Staff

I agree with commander, you have to mention something in roll call, maybe not say their name, but we have to confront the folks who begin the gossip about other folks no matter how we feel about the person they’re talking about. Inmates love it when we are not on the same page. The thing inmates hate most is a unified front from us. It’s really us against them. We have to keep talking in roll call how we need to show how we uphold the law, high standards, and just be professional. We have to remind folks we catch saying something regarding gossip, that they have to keep their opinons to themselves. Gossip can hurt morale, it does no good at all. If you want things better, stop the chatter, More important, we can’t give in no matter how we feel. It’s us against them.

Topic: The Club House / Dishonest Correction Officers

Interesting dialouge from commander. I want to ask one question to all of you. Is it possible in your opinion, that an officer can change to strive for honor? I’ve seen some inmates change, perhaps for religous reasons, family reasons, and whatever. I don’t mean the ones who give lip service, we all know about those. But is it possible, that officers, perhaps some, can arrive at a point in their lives, may begin to see things differently? Dishonesty accumulates and darkens one’s soul. Is there redepmtion? How does an officer, who is honest, over come the problems that do exist which challenges his/ her values in your opinion? Like jamestown, I to am a CPR instructor and have seen some things. I to was challenged by some things. We all have, perhaps seen some things that are really crazy. So, where do we start? And I would like to suggest that not all officers in a clique are bad. Perhaps one needs the commoradery of others with like values. That doesn’t mean it’s all bad. When I do a CPR session, I often see folks begin to have a zeal about something. I think if we look for what is in common between us, we can begin a discussion. The goal, is honor, and not to give up. What do you think?

Topic: The Club House / Dishonest Correction Officers

jamestown, you probably hit it right on the head on 2 fronts. The cliques can do a lot things to more then separate themselves from the rest. And it’s true when something goes down, there is a rush to be all in. My question to you is, what has been your experience whenever there is taining? Sometimes there are time constraints that limit maybe a good topic, or everyone, instructors and staff getting trained are so much in a hurry to get out of there. It’s been my experience that when training day comes, everyone is too tired or just don’t care. What makes a training session special for you? For me, it’s when the instructor is really interested in being there and has someting to say the makes sense for my everyday activity. We can change perspectives by always being constitant with our attitude. The cliques will have to agree at some point, that when something does go down, you are the person they can always depend on. And that is the start. When they have to say to themselves, that you are the person that never talks about somebody else, that you don’t do the things that ware down the “all in” thinking. Blackdiamond had some interstings things to say about new recruits, that says something about how they are trained, or am I wrong? Persons of honor is what we need to strive for, for ourselves and how we present ourselves. This kind of stuff spreads. Ever notice that when driving to work you see someone give a break to another person, then that person does something good. It works both ways, bad conduct spreads bad conduct, and good conduct sreads good conduct.

Topic: The Club House / Dishonest Correction Officers

Dishonest Corrections Officers: a possible solution; I have seen dishonesty in our workforce, and have reported it. Criminal activity either by inmates or officers prospers through crimanal communications. Criminal communications works better than the good guys communications. Why? Because they, the criminals, are of one mind. They don’t actually have to speak, they could just jesture; we’ve all seen it or know something about the way they communicate. We, the good guys, don’t communicate as well. Why? Because we sometimes are not of one mind like the criminals. The good guys sometimes become angry, disgruntled, due to money, non advancement, or jealousy, and you can mention hundreds of different reasons. We don’t communicate the same way. In fact, you can say that in all law enforcement agencies, FBI, U.S. Marshals, the State, County, police; we are not on the same page for hundreds of different reasons. We also don’t follow through with best hiring practices. A person of honor helped with good training can go along way. Do we do that? What is our critera to hire officers? What training do we conduct to create good communications or rather “the on the same page communications”? We need to ask the right questions and come up with solutions instead of shaking our heads about dishonest employees. It’s not enough to finger point. We need to set in motion the kind of communications which we can all draw into with the same reference point, and training which clearly points towards being the honorable person. We can strive to being the best we can be. Everyone has to be all in, on the same page from top to bottom. That means adminstrators, setting goals to conduct training with the all in attitute. It’s US against them. We need to be on ONE page. We need the training classes to promote the idea of “we are all in this together.” We are the “good guys gang” if you will. We need to talk to each other in like manner. We could also due with training classes that teach us how to better respect each other through constructive feedback communications instead of the “I got you” attitude. We may all have so much in common with one another that we may never realize.