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“The last of the human freedoms: to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.” Viktor Frankl Being able to stay in control of ourselves regardless of what’s happening around us is a tall order indeed. Control like that can be hard to imagine. Sure, when life is flowing smoothly, it’s easy to feel like we’re in charge. But when the going gets tough, even the tough begin to feel jerked around by circumstances. In this article I describe how we can remain in charge of our behavior pretty much no matter what’s happening around us. This can be accomplished by managing our attitude and our perspective. I dare say that applying these truths has the power to shape our destiny more than any other force within our control. The Two WomenCan you see the two women? Each of us has a “power switch.” This switch is our ability to control which [...]

As someone who has spent the better part of the last eight years implementing peer support teams in corrections and first responder agencies, I’ve seen various types of curricula that get the job done. However, I recently had the opportunity to experience Desert Waters’ 40-hour Peer Supporter Training™ from multiple perspectives—as an observer of a team completing it, an instructor delivering it, and a staff wellness program administrator always seeking ways to improve peer support team training.What truly sets Desert Waters’ Peer Supporter Training™ (PST) apart is its comprehensive approach. It weaves together all the essential elements needed to effectively train a peer support team. No box is left unchecked. PST addresses policy, practice, skill-building, and engaging and realistic role-play scenarios and role plays. PST also includes a substantial focus on correctional staff mental health research data, and on the always anxiety-provoking and painful subject of staff being a threat to themselves and possibly also to others. The curriculum brings everything together through [...]

This article was printed several years ago in the Correctional Oasis, and we are reprinting it, as it is still relevant. Much is written about leadership in corrections. Here is input from seasoned corrections officers, as to what they need from their supervisors. Many thanks to all of you who contributed your thoughts and suggestions! Correctional Officer #1 My best supervisor: Pointed out our strengths. Used our strengths. Rewarded our strengths. Trained us regarding our weaknesses. Was a good listener. Allowed us to vent and voice our opinion. Correctional Officer #2 Remember that you were once a CO. When COs work overtime they are giving up their free/family time. So, they should be taken care of as far as duty assignment before your normal shift officers. Work some CO overtime, so that COs can have a little break from all the OT. Lead by example. Insure that COs have the tools they need to do their job to the best [...]

Statistics show the results of stress that correctional professionals experience. This issue should be dealt with head-on at every opportunity, with no minimizing. Staff needs to know the warning signs of stress-related negative behavior and its effects on staff, families and friends. Staff also needs to understand that help is available to cope with stress, and that seeking such help does not mean staff are weak or aren’t making the cut. Stress is a natural by-product of working in corrections. When we are physically ill, it is natural to go to a medical doctor. When we experience emotional distress, it ought to be natural to go to someone who can help. It is never an easy task to approach a staff member who you, as their supervisor, believe is having personal problems. There is one rule that applies though. Care enough to confront. Staff members struggling with personal issues are not outwardly focused. Rather, they are inwardly focused. Such staff members [...]

Every correctional leader’s goal and every correctional staff member’s goal must be to focus on creating genuinely supportive cultures if we are to retain and professionally “grow” and mature staff. Let’s start at the beginning. After completing basic training, new correctional employees are pumped, excited about getting started on the job. Yet deep down they may wonder if they’ll be able to “prove themselves” to their supervisors and peers and earn their respect, if they’ll react professionally to crises, or if they’ll remain firm, fair and consistent in the face of day-to-day pressures. They know that theory is one thing, but practice is quite another. You, the supervisors, are the ones that new staff look to primarily, at least to begin with. You are the ones who can model to them how it all plays out in real life. You are the ones who can flesh out the lessons taught at the Academy. (And if you do not do [...]

In correctional facilities, supervisors play a pivotal role in maintaining the balance between discipline and support, particularly when it comes to staff wellness programs. Some supervisors hold the belief that a wellness program might lower accountability, assuming that fostering wellness compromises the need for clear boundaries and consistent expectations. This belief, however, is a myth that must be debunked for the health of both the staff and the agency. In reality, wellness programs, when properly implemented, do not diminish accountability. Instead, they enhance performance, reduce workplace stress, and promote a more harmonious work environment. A supervisor can lead with a wellness mindset while still maintaining high expectations and ensuring that boundaries remain firm.Debunking the Myth: We Can’t Have Both Wellness and AccountabilityOne common misconception among supervisors is that wellness programs may cause staff to feel entitled to leniency regarding their actions or performance. Some believe that focusing on wellness could potentially undermine accountability by allowing employees to excuse poor behavior [...]

This article offers examples of what changes individual correctional employees can choose to make in their attitude and behavior to bring about positive outcomes in the workplace. It saddens me that many correctional workers carry a bucket of rocks to work every day and don’t even realize that they are carrying needless weight. You have heard the old saying, “Attitude is everything.” Well, in this bucket I’m talking about people who carry the rocks of negative attitudes. I continue to hear over and over again about problems in corrections that are a direct result of the “bucket of rocks” people bring in with them. These rocks can kill careers, steal lives, and destroy families. What are some of the rocks I am talking about? They are gossip, harassment, jealousy, anger, hate, back-biting, and too many more to mention. What is wrong with this picture? Aren’t we supposed to be supporting each other? Don’t we all depend on others for [...]

This article offers an example of what administrators can do to help improve the well-being and functioning of new hires, and as a result, also help the odds of their retention over time. This scenario probably plays out daily in countless jurisdictions. You’re about to start offering basic training at your correctional agency’s Training Academy. Among your new recruits you have Bob who up to a few days ago worked at the local Walmart, Mary who a couple of months ago graduated from high school, and Todd whose only prior job experience involves working at fast-food joints and delivering pizzas. Now you are training them to become tomorrow’s Correctional or Detention Officers. You try to prepare them with training on topics such as CPR/First Aid, Defensive Tactics, use of force, OC spray training, ethics and professionalism, offender disciplinary procedures, and many more. Other than what they may have seen on TV or in a movie, these individuals and many [...]

This article offers an example of how individual choices can have wide-ranging effects, starting with overcoming a sense of “learned helplessness.” One key focus of our course, “From Corrections Fatigue to Fulfillment™” (CF2F), is empowering staff by constantly asking, “What can YOU do to help improve ____?” (Whatever an area of concern may be.) This question applies to all correctional employees, from frontline staff to wardens and Executive Directors/Commissioners. While each role has different levels of authority and influence, everyone’s contributions are essential for meaningful and lasting progress in criminal justice reform. However, initially class participants may feel stumped by that question. It may not have occurred to them that there ARE actions THEY can take (no matter how seemingly small or insignificant) to move the needle to a greater positive. Why might that be? When people (or animals) find themselves in situations where they are unable to escape chronically traumatic or other high stress conditions, they develop what psychologists have [...]

This article offers examples of changes individual correctional employees can choose to make in their personal and family life to bring about positive outcomes for themselves and their loved ones, and by extension for their workplace. (Personal life “comes” to work just as much as work life “comes” home. Usually, not much is left at the gate, either way.) Corrections Fatigue is a real thing, and it had a big hold on me. So what did I do about it? I disconnected somewhat emotionally from work and plugged in to enjoying my family more. I sought out guidance and purpose and began meeting regularly with a very wise mentor from my church family. I found purpose and joy in choosing to live for others and not so much for myself. For my self-care, I began engaging in new hobbies which allow me to see tangible results that I can’t always see at work. I began cooking and smoking food, [...]