Henry Kissinger is quoted as saying that the task of a leader is to get people from where they are to where they have not been. This is also a reflection of the work of Vroom & Jago (2007) who state that leaders should motivate others to do great things. With correctional workers, effective leadership and management is essential to the safety of other workers. To those housed in correctional facilities, and to the community at large. How new leaders are trained and prepared for their important role is essential to the success of correctional institutions. This paper will address a review of best practice regarding leadership in correctional facilities as well as an analysis of Corrections Corporation of America’s (CCA) Samberg Program. Finally, the paper will address a specific training evaluation model to enhance the program.
Best Practice for Leadership Training for Correctional Facilities
There is a body of research that demonstrates the best way to train new leaders in correctional facilities. Ruddell and Cecil (2010) write, “They must understand the role that their
institution plays in their community; the effect of different stakeholder groups on their organizational mission; the importance of their staff in achieving the organization’s goals; and the impact of providing a safe and secure correctional environment where inmates can work toward their rehabilitation and return to live crime-free in the community” (p. 80). This is a large undertaking. It would behoove organizations to ensure that they are training staff in ways that will help promote these habits while increasing the efficacy of their organization.
Corrections Corporation of America
Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, Corrections Corporation of Ameri...
... middle of paper ...
... training for the Samberg Program.
References
CCA. (2013). Samberg Leadership Program. Retrieved from http://cca.com/careers/working-in-
corrections/training-development.
CCA. (2013). Who are we? Retrieved from http://cca.com/who-we-are.
Kirkpatrick, D. (1996). Great ideas revisited. Techniques for evaluating training programs.
Revisiting Kirkpatrick’s Four-Level Model. Training & Development, 50(1), 54-59.
Mohr, G. (2009). Samberg program improves leadership and addresses turnover. Corrections
Today, 71(2), 56-58.
Ruddell, R. & Cecil, L. (2010). Ten steps to developing effective leadership training.
Corrections Today, 72(1), 80-83.
Vroom, V. H., & Jago, A. G. (2007). The role of the situation in leadership. American
Psychologist, 62, 17–24.
White, V. (2009). Fostering professional growth in corrections. Corrections Today, 71(2),
34-36.
The picture this book paints would no doubt bother corrections professionals in prisons where prisoner-staff relationships and officer solidarity are more developed. In training, Conover is told that "the most important thing you can learn here is to communicate with inmates." And the Sing Sing staff who enjoy the most success and fulfillment i...
An organization cannot function successfully if the leadership is flawed. Therefore, it is wise that organization choose leaders that will be beneficial to their operation. With that said, leaders need to be evaluated consistently when they are in charge of an operation. In this assignment this author will investigate how leadership is officially assessed in a correctional organization. The leadership positions that will be the subject of this assignment will a correctional facility warden.
Having the study formulated after a prison environment presents a disturbing view on the effects it has on the individuals living in these conditions. As the study demonstrated both groups take on an alternate persona based on the roles assigned to them and the level of authority given to each. Today the same effect can be seen outside the prison environment, businesses experience this phenomenon as well. Managers are figures of authority within company and based on the type of management they exude, subordinates experience at different points some level of dominance over them. The results of the study are extremely valuable especially for the corrections industry, in recent years’ prisons have employed medical professionals that help inmates with psychological traumas and are able to utilize different outlets such as classes and work related activities within the corrections facility as a means to eliminate the negative effects on its
Pierce, Jon L. and John W. Newstrom (2011) 6th edition. Leaders and the Leadership Process.
Hersey, P. & Blanchard, K. (n.d.) Situational Leadership. In Wren, J.T. (Ed.). (1995). The Leader’s Companion (pp. 207-211). New York: Simon & Schuster.
The average turnover rate among corrections officers in adult institutions in 2000 was 16.1%, up from 12.65 in 1995. Turnover rates among corrections in 2000 ranged from a low of 3.8% (New York) to a high of 41% (Louisiana). Fifteen states reported states below the national average for all occupations (13.5 %) but 34% of the states reported rates for corrections officers above 20% while 6% fell into a range above 30% (according to A 21st Century Workforce for America’s Correctional Profession) If I were the Sheriff of Henrico County the strategies I would put into place to improve the recruitment and retention of correctional officers would be to focus increasing the inadequate pay for the correctional officers, Finding a way to decrease the demanding and time consuming hours for each shift, and ensure the safety of all staff members with proper training prior to being hired. I believe that most CO’s lack the drive to stay committed to a job that pays poorly but yet wants so much of your time. The risk of being hurt by inmates because of unqualified coworkers is also a reason that it may be hard to keep our employees from quitting. After doing extensive research, my paper will go in details about the poor pay, the hours, lack of training. I hope that I can explain how my workers will stay committed to a job that proves that our employees play a major if not the biggest role in the correction facilities and this is why it is imperative we find ways for them to love the career path they’ve embarked on as opposed to feeling using and regretting their choice of a career. Your career should make you want to get up and go to work every day with hopes ...
Kouzes, J., & Posner, B., (2007). The leadership challenge, (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-
Mlls, D. Q. (2005). Leadership How to Lead, How to Live. Boston: Harvad Business School Press.
Corrections officers are often faced with unimaginable situations in their role in providing the structure for prisoners to go back into society. In corrections facilities, there is a high turnover rate due to the physical and mental strain these officers endure. Issues such as riots, fights, gangs, dealing with inmates with mental health issues, and the potentially negative personality issues that prisoners bring with them to prison. This stress can lead to mental health issues, physical health disorders, and family problems. We need to provide them help and find ways to make the job more manageable to ensure the corrections officers are able to not only do their job, but also lead a productive life outside of work.
A correctional officer is apart of a staff in a detention center, prison, or a jail that sets to accomplish the goals of the institution’s objectives by maintaining control and order within the prison (Seiter, 2011). While the role of a correctional officer is very crucial within a prison, depending on the unique role to a specific location, it is important that we understand that these humble and quiet guardians are in the correction facilities. Between the different criminal justice facilities, the mission and goals between them are vastly different, although there is very little contrast in the roles that correctional officers play in these facilities. Correctional officers are solely in charge of the direct and constant supervision of prisoners and administering the security procedures and protocols within a facility. These officers also need to be extremely well informed in the technical and interactive realm of the prison system as daily interactions with the inmate population requires them to have strict adherence to policies and a sharp attention to
Although it may not seem like a major problem to most people in the United States, prisons are becoming overcrowded, expensive to maintain and have little to no effect on the moral discipline of inmates. The current prison system is extremely inefficient and the purpose of prisons has been completely forgotten. According to Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, the primary purpose of prisons is to punish, to protect, and to rehabilitate. Not only is there an increase in prisoners, but there is a rise in the number of repeat offenders. Alternatives such as counseling, drug rehabilitation, education, job training and victim restitution must be better enforced and organized. People do not understand the severity of the problem mainly because
Hall, Peter, & Norris, Peter. (1993). Learning for leadership. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 14(7), 35. Retrieved August 25, 2011, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 81758).
The United States of America contains the third largest population in the world, as well as the world’s largest prison population (Aliprandini and Finley). In order for the large criminal justice system to be successful, it must have a strong parole system. But the U.S. parole system is known to have a multitude of problems within it. Many of these problems can be solved by focusing on the relationships between the parole officers and the parolees (a person on parole). By participating in systems to better the work ethic of parole officers. Following through to fixing these affairs may seem unrealistic, however the outcome would be beneficial to society.
Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2012). The leadership challenge: How to make extraordinary
Northouse, P. (2010). Leadership: Theory and practice (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.