Description
Introduction
One important aspect to explore for the future of the correctional system is professionalism. Presently, the correctional field does not meet all characteristics that typically define a profession. Of the five characteristics, corrections as a whole may meet two, at most. Individually, there are some institutions that employee officers who may possess more of the characteristics. If the correctional field as a whole is going to advance, this aspect of the correctional system will have to be examined.
For this discussion, assume you are a high-ranking commander in a minimum security facility housing 500 inmates. The majority of these inmates have committed crimes such as theft, vandalism, domestic violence, and small drug offenses. You have worked at this facility for 20 years, having begun your career as a civilian counselor. Since then, you have obtained your officer certification and have been promoted to your high rank. Also, during this time, you went back to school and obtained your college degree in criminal justice.
Not all of the officers and staff share your ambition. Many lack any college courses or extra training. During the course of your career and while obtaining your degree, you have heard the whispers and read articles about corrections staff not being professional employees. This has bothered you throughout your career because you have always tried to be professional in all the work you have performed. Now that you are a high-ranking officer, you would like to make the staff under your command more professional because you believe it will help move your facility into the 21st century. You decide to take up this issue with the prison warden.
In your initial post:
- Explore two characteristics you feel professional correctional staff should possess.
- Lay out your plan to accomplish getting all correctional staff to meet the characteristics you discussed above.
- Explain one resource that could assist you with your plan.
- Evaluate how your plan would lead to an orderly running institution.
