Why so many corrections jobs go unfilled: prison culture needs changing

last spring, 21 percent of all Congress-funded correctional officer positions were vacant. The situation is so dire that in some prisons teachers, case managers, and even secretaries are left out of commission to cover vacant positions despite having only the most basic safety training. It is imposed.

Why is it so difficult to fill correctional positions?Salary is certainly something to consider. Prison officers are notoriously poorly paid. But is the answer to a question bigger and deeper than money?

Is it possible that the current prison culture is a major deterrent to staffing?

Public welfare (police, corrections, courts) State and local budget categories This exceeds both education and healthcare. However, there are comparatively fewer leadership development resources available to correctional facility guards. As a result, prison culture and its environment have changed little over the years.

Leaders have access to new learning programs, primarily focused on management strategies. For example, how to count her 1,000 people in 15 minutes or options for intervention in the event of a hunger strike. But there are few opportunities to learn about changes in prison culture meaningful enough to solve the problem of understaffing.

That’s why I make a program like lifeguard exchange It’s very unique. This innovative program aims to create safer prisons and advance justice through transformational leadership. This allows monitors, a group often stereotyped as rigid and uncaring, to instead think of themselves as powerful change agents.

This fundamental model is based on a simple principle. For example, you cannot respect someone by disrespecting them. Another example: Men and women in prison, like all of us, learn about who they are and how the world works by observing the people around them.

Changing the culture within a prison starts with those in charge. The warden comes to understand that punishment itself should be punishment. Their own role should not be more punitive, but rather fostering personal change.

This idea that true rehabilitation begins with changing the power relations within prisons is somewhat new and is gaining national attention.

Change is happening at the prison, which is home to more than 440 guards trained in this model. Inmates and staff alike say they sense a change in culture. This may be the key to making prisons a place where people are happy to work.

If one warden in one prison at a time started making these changes, we would see a dramatic change in the landscape of correctional facilities across the country. This change will benefit staff, people living in prisons and society as a whole.

Approximately 1.9 million people They are currently incarcerated in the United States, and most will be released back into society at some point. It is imperative that we create an environment within prison walls where men and women are educated to become the kind of neighbors we all want to be someday – the kind of neighbors who are honest, trustworthy, and want to contribute to their communities in positive ways. is.

Teaching leaders how to treat incarcerated people differently can have a long-term, life-changing impact. But how does cultural change actually occur?

First, prison officers can use inmates’ first names instead of calling them “inmates” or “offenders.” They sometimes refer to cells as “rooms.” These adjustments may seem small, but words matter, and the simple act of changing the way you speak to incarcerated people, even when it comes to their living conditions, can help them understand how they feel. It is a reminder of the dignity and worth of

These small changes are already helping to prepare eligible people for reintegration into society, foster respect between correctional officers and prisoners, and build the interpersonal skills needed upon release.

Guards can also start looking for ways to say “yes.” This is key to promoting positive self-determination, an idea that has a profound impact on individuals upon release.

It is also important to address the underlying issues of criminal behavior, nurture talents and talents, help individuals develop coping strategies, and provide education and skill building. Providing incarcerated people with the tools they need to become successful and productive members of society would have far-reaching economic and public safety benefits.

It is possible to teach incarcerated people how to be good citizens, but we need to start that process while they are still in prison.

When implemented, these changes will bring real change to the lives of people living behind bars, creating a different culture in which to work and live.

The time has come for us to advocate for a shift in the culture within prison walls from one centered on punishment to one that promotes rehabilitation, respect and recovery. This is true justice. This is how lives are rebuilt. And this is what modern orthodontics looks like.

Given the current situation, it’s certainly worth a try.

Dan Kingery is Executive Vice President of Correctional Advancement at Prison Fellowship.