Zone 5150: 2017

Collapse Dawn

Dawn McClanahan

Aug

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All, this week let's discuss careers and pros and cons of working in the correctional arenas. What experiences have you already had and what do you think you might like to explore in the future?

Thanks all.

Professor McClanahan

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- Collapse Brantley
  
  Brantley Babb
  
  Aug
  
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  I use to be in corrections kinda... I worked as a military police officer but I was a instructor for the southern area for all military deployments training hundreds of thousands of soldiers to go over seas and run detention centers. I enjoyed being a instructor I just didn't like the hours i spent 12 Hours a day training others and 4-5 hours with my family this caused us problems at home. Which is the only bad thing I personally experienced.
  
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- Collapse Peter
  
  Peter Serraty
  
  Aug
  
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  I think that the Pros of working in a correctional setting is most obviously the job security and benefits. If you have some kind of interest in helping people who have succumb to the life of crime and would like to help them change their ways this may also be the kind of job that may interest you but i feel that by the time you come across an inmate in here he may be too far gone. There are much more cons than pros. The biggest con i can think of is safety. Its very dangerous for a correctional officer maybe more so than an inmate. He is not only in danger while inside the prison he is also in danger when he leaves. His family is also in danger as they can be targeted to "get a point across" to the officer. As any officer (corrections or not) you work a dangerous job.
  
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  - Collapse Glory
    
    Glory Waakzaam
    
    Aug
    
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    Another con is the hours and scheduling. As with most jobs, a new hire doesn't have much say in the hours they are scheduled to work. A new Corrections Officer would be pulling all the night shifts. Also, working in corrections is no easy job. It is a very high-stress environment that can be bad for your health. Another pro is the opportunity for advancement. For example, entry level requirements for a job as a correctional officer are only a high school diploma or GED. As an officer completes various programs and obtains more degrees, more opportunities for promotion and work in other departments become available.
    
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  - Collapse Ryan
    
    Ryan Call
    
    Aug
    
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    I agree, Peter. I think that as correctional facility culture shifts, maybe, to a more rehabilitative approach, the reward of seeing people's lives change might be greater. That assumes that you are going into the field, despite it's downsides, to help people and not to just be in an authoritative position. I never thought about the family implications which you mentioned. I wonder how common that is. I'm sure even if it was relatively uncommon, I would still have it in the back of my mind and almost have a sense of paranoia.
    
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- Collapse Ricky
  
  Ricky Artiga
  
  Aug
  
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  The pros would be the choices of different career goals. The cons there is a chance of dangerous situations in the field of corrections.
  
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- Collapse Ashlee
  
  Ashlee Fore
  
  Aug
  
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  I have not had any experience in the Correctional area but with the career I plan on going into (assuming there are open positions at the time) is Crime Scene Investigating or Forensics. There are many departments under these fields that I would love to explore later on in my career and one of those being Ballistics. With these fields, they offer me a position doing what I love and that is putting pieces of a puzzle together and finding things that can be related to a crime and to help solve it.
  
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Collapse Dewanah

Dewanah Colton

Aug

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I have a friend that actually worked as a prison guard for a long time. He said that, " the pay was good and that he was allotted a clothing allowance to purchase his own uniforms." He said that " he received state health benefits that did not cost that much and that there is good job security."

The negatives were that the initial training was too long and required him to spend an extensive amount of time away from his family. He said that being a corrections officer was dangerous. Correctional officers get injured in physical altercations with inmates all the time.

Those in the corrections field have been known to carry an extremely high statistic rate of suicide, alcoholism, and depression because of the nature of their job. Correctional officers work both indoors or outdoors in all weather conditions and climates. Some correctional facilities are well lit, climate controlled and ventilated, while the majority are still outdated, overcrowded, hot and loud.(BLS, 2015)

Reference:

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/protective-service/correctional-officers.htm

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Collapse Lindsey

Lindsey Emrick

Aug

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Would like to start off by saying I have zero experience in working for corrections. One of the big Pros would be job security. Since crime will always happen and with the increase in detention facility and prison construction throughout the country, the need to staff those new facilities with qualified and training personnel ensure that the need for correctional officers will continue to be in high demand for years to come. A few cons would be the hours and scheduling, high stress job and safety. working near and around prisoners and inmates that have committed various levels of offenses. .

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- Collapse Dawn
  
  Dawn McClanahan
  
  Aug
  
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  Lindsey, I think definitely job security will be found in law enforcement.
  
  What could be done to reduce stress among officers, all?
  
  Professor McClanahan
  
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  - Collapse Corina
    
    Corina Williams
    
    Aug
    
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    The pros of working as a correction officer is the hours of course, and experience working a correctional facility. The cons would be the attack of inmates. There are many issues that happen on an everyday basis. I've been mentioning my mom's experiences a lot, and she tells me about not even just correction officers, but some of the nurses being attacked by the inmates. Some of the inmates have mental issues, and it definitely sucks. There's a possibility of not going home to your family which is very similar to a police officer's job.
    
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  - Collapse Dewanah
    
    Dewanah Colton
    
    Aug
    
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    Stress for law enforcement is heavy, they deal with life and death situations daily. I think that management could help reduce stress by paying more attention to their officers and what they are going through. I wonder how many officers go to the doctor on a regular basis. If they are anything like my husband, hardly ever. Officers should try to keep friends around that are not officers to help them actually get away from work. Finally, I think that they could add more exercise to their routine. I know when I am stressed and I get to train by boxing. I feel tons lighter afterwards, my mind is clearer and I feel like I can go the extra mile.
    
    On the flip side, there are stressors that actually help officers get out of dangerous situations or motivate them to be successful.
    
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    Collapse Dawn
    
    Dawn McClanahan
    
    Aug
    
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    Dewanah, great point about how officers need a support system to help them destress. What also can help lessen the stress of police and correctional officers, all?
    
    Professor McClanahan
    
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    Collapse Peter
    
    Peter Serraty
    
    Aug
    
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    I think that there should be protocols in place. For example, maybe make their shifts a couple hours longer in order to have more days off. Instead of working 8 hours a day 5 days a week they can work 10 hours a day, 4 days a week. this gives the officers more time away from the job to unwind. Also, after certain encounters or situations an officer should be forced to take a break (leave of absence or desk duty) just to make sure they are over it. Seeing people killed or going through certain things can take a toll on an officer, they are also human. officers should also be given mandatory counseling maybe on a biweekly basis. This could ensure that they are still mentally fit to perform their duties. A counselor or therapist might be able to detect change in an officers principles (corruption), stress and other factors that could inhibit the officer from carrying out their duties efficiently.
    
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    Collapse Alicia
    
    Alicia Paz
    
    Aug
    
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    Some other ways to help lessen the stress of police and correctional officers, Altering the situation if it a stressful situation that cannot be avoided try to compromise with it and keep a positive attitude about it. They can also adapt to the stressor and adjust attitude (somewhat similar to altering the situation). Adopt a healthy lifestyle I know you can increase your stress by working on your physical and emotional health such as exercising and eating right. I know exercising helps me when I am stressed out.
    
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  - Collapse Brantley
    
    Brantley Babb
    
    Aug
    
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    The reduction of stress due to the job would be more time with family and away from inmates. during a work day of 8 hours in a prison of 10 hours for 4 days can be a major stress problem dealing with angry inmates for 8 hours or 10 then going home to house full of people who don't understand the job.
    
    This can stress a person out take my career for example I was a police officer for 4 years before being medically retired I got married after a year on the force. After 6 months my wife could not take the working late every day or she couldn't take the news reports of a officer down not knowing if i was okay that she left me and moved to the other side of the country.
    
    So from personal experience i would have to say free counseling for officers would be a help marriage, stress, and anger counseling sessions could help a officer preform better in the field and stay more alert to the thing around him.
    
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    Collapse Travis
    
    Travis Henry
    
    Aug
    
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    Brantley I am sorry to hear about your wife leaving you. I am in a similar situation where my wife thinks I'm cheating and constantly stresses me about it because I work long and late shifts at times and I cannot discuss my job with her. So she calls me secretive and a liar and throws tantrums all the time. We definitely need counsellors for out marriages and anger management sessions. Another thing is that I see dead bodies regularly from shooting incidents to hanging and we don't get any counselling.
    
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  - Collapse Corina
    
    Corina Williams
    
    Aug
    
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    Some ways of reducing stress amongst officers, are taking some downtown, and using vacation time. Also officers are always on the go, and if someone calls out or something happens then there isn't time to eat food, or healthy food at that.
    
    This website below talks about how officers deal with a lot, and what causes stress, and the consequences, as well as what helps relieve, and reduce stress.
    
    http://inpublicsafety.com/2016/04/how-police-can-reduce-and-manage-stress/
    
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    Collapse Imani
    
    Imani Rodriguez-Stewart
    
    Aug
    
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    I agree and if in the prison like my husband is you can't get ahould of them in emergancy situations. I was in a car accident and since its a macimum prison the officers cannot carry their phones so I had to wait on the phone till I was next for the prisions info booth. Not only that we never make plans because he could be mandated after his 8 hour shift and end up doing a 16.
    
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    Collapse Rachel
    
    Rachel Sakhi
    
    Aug
    
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    Yes. iAgree,, and its the mistake of allowing stress to feel in control, but fool me once, then the second time around the stress is ceased with proper treatment, and TLC.
    
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  - Collapse Kristina
    
    Kristina Hunter
    
    Aug
    
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    With any law enforcement field, it is very stressful. At FWPD, they work a 4/3, ten hour shift. The three days off is a great break, but not too long. Where I am at, we work a 9/80 schedule. Every other Friday we have off and the Friday we work, it is only 8 hours. I am not in law enforcement, but the schedule is great for me to get some much needed time every other week. I do think that team building exercises would be a good stress reliever, as well. I think the organizations officers can be part of helps them feel part of a group. With the perception from the public, some officers may feel like they have nobody they can relate to except for family and other officers. Volunteering in the community could shed some light on them and the public, too. This could really help when they are working and dealing with the community.
    
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  - Collapse Gary
    
    Gary Warth
    
    Aug
    
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    Honestly I think it depends on the type of stress. For psychological stress, I think we are already providing very feasable resolutions via counceling. If anything, I think an increase in vacation time might go a long way.
    
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Collapse Alicia

Alicia Paz

Aug

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I do not have any experiences working in correctional arenas but it does seem like an interesting job. I know it takes some skill and learning to be able to be in this type of field. I wouldn’t mind shadowing a correctional officer to see how their day to day is ran. There are a few things that I came up with as pros and cons of working in correctional arenas.

Pros would be:

Pay and benefits

Job security (especially if this is the field they went to school for or are currently)

Cons would be:

Safety

High stress environment

Hours and scheduling (especially is they are short staffed)
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Collapse Brandon

Brandon DeAtley

Aug

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I think the positive factors are that you can make an impact on the prisoners. You can help these individuals turn their lives around and be a role model or mentor. negative factors are the environment in general. Depending on what level of facility your working in will impact your interaction with the inmates. If you are serving in a max level facility, you may be in more danger due to the prisoners having nothing to lose. Recently a family friend of mine was teaching in a prison and got beat up real bad. She is currently in the hospital. I am not sure what type of facility she was working in but this type of situation happens more than you realize. I have another friend that was working in a juvenile facility and had his head split open by one of the inmates using a broom. You are never safe in this type of environment and that is a major downfall in my eyes.

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Collapse Christina

Christina Binion

Aug

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I have worked in corrections, for two years since 2013-2015, and personally it was a good experience, well at least for me because I worked in a small town in Kentucky called Mayfield. Everybody knew everybody in this town, so it was barely any drama regardless. Just a bunch a drug dealers, addicts, some murderers, rapists, assaults just to name a few. The positive side for working in corrections is the experience in itself, also you can learn a lot about the law and about each inmate, not so much as a negative effect but more so of their weakness in life to help them to become a better person after incarceration.

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Collapse Kendal

Kendal Springer

Aug

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Some have touched on it already, but I believe making a small difference in someone's life is a benefit from working in corrections. Something as little as giving the proper respect and talking to an inmate like a human can make a change.

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Collapse Eddie

Eddie Coleman

Aug

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The positive factors working in corrections is being able to help people and meet new people that come and go. There can be many different positive factors in corrections for different people and you would really have to see what's the positive factors to them. The negative factors would be fighting with other inmates and even being fought with an inmate and also security purposes. Making sure everything stays secure and safe is a big job and negative factor because anything can happen at any given time. I dont have any personal experience but I am going into law enforcement and I definitely want to help people and get to meet new people and also do something I love. So my personal experience would come years from now hopefully.

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Collapse Rachel

Rachel Sakhi

Aug

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hi....

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CollapseRachel
Rachel Sakhi

Aug

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Go To Topic

Edit

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Corrections is a team with local law enforcement. My reality regardless of any stranger's tiny opinion is the following: Issues that possess ups and downs from my personal experiences from age 15 to 38 are: The beat: Major Metropolitan Highway Track Prostitution Border and Customs Patrol: Removal DV: Violence Cycles Drug Busts: Home Invasions Child Abuse: Molestation SWAT Investigation: Serial Killers DEA: Investigation FBI: Manufacturing Meth & Casinos Terrorism: Foreign Affairs Terrorism: Domestic Kidnapping CIA: Gov't Protective Services & Assistance Terrorism: Int'l Hostage Negotiations GITtMO: Interrogation Strategies

R Rache

Aug

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Corrections is a team with local law enforcement. My reality regardless of any stranger's tiny opinion is the following: Issues that possess ups and downs from my personal experiences from age 15 to 38 are: The beat: Major Metropolitan Highway Track Prostitution Border and Customs Patrol: Removal DV: Violence Cycles Drug Busts: Home Invasions Child Abuse: Molestation SWAT Investigation: Serial Killers DEA: Investigation FBI: Manufacturing Meth & Casinos Terrorism: Foreign Affairs Terrorism: Domestic Kidnapping CIA: Gov't Protective Services & Assistance Terrorism: Int'l Hostage Negotiations GITMO: Interrogation Strategies

Edited by Rachel Sakhi on Aug 17 at 7:03am

citation:

https://devryu.instructure.com/courses/7598/assignments/192229

Zone 5150

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Team USA utilizing Asians to deliver racism this year: No Niggers Allowed! "you will not test at our club,..." (President of US Figure Skating, 2017).

DeVry U: Sakhi, Rachel - JADM210 (Entry Level Knowledge of Corrections): Week 7 Discussion

Dawn McClanahan

Brantley Babb

Peter Serraty

Glory Waakzaam

Ryan Call

Ricky Artiga

Ashlee Fore

Dewanah Colton

Lindsey Emrick

Dawn McClanahan

Corina Williams

Dewanah Colton

Dawn McClanahan

Peter Serraty

Alicia Paz

Brantley Babb

Travis Henry

Corina Williams

Imani Rodriguez-Stewart

Rachel Sakhi

Kristina Hunter

Gary Warth

Alicia Paz

Brandon DeAtley

Christina Binion

Kendal Springer

Eddie Coleman

Rachel Sakhi

Rachel Sakhi

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