Topic: The Club House / Starting Career in Corrections

I disagree with Chilled. At my facility in NW Indiana, we have many female sargeants, several female lieutenants, and even a Captain or two. Two of our three Complex directors are female, as well as countless female officers. Females can be very successful in corrections, however are more succumb to the pressures of inmates. If you are looking for a career in corrections and are female, look into all the possibilities, such as a female facility. Many veterans prefer male facilities due to the “emotional” side of working with females. Research your area and don’t be afraid to ask HR personell about the percentages of ranking female officers in the facility. You may be suprised how many there are. Good luck and remember that it is a demanding field. Stress and other factors can play big into whether you are up to being a member of an elite community.

Topic: Letter of The Law / Accreditation - pros and cons

I think one of the reasons the average offender is more violent is because the average age of offenders is younger. The majority of officers between 20-30 years old is managing offenders of the same age. I agree that the credit should go to those who are following policy and procedure, but if you just lock them up, where is the rehabilitation phase of the process? Money funded through accreditation should be invested into training and education of officers on how to better protect themselves in open population facilities.

Topic: Letter of The Law / Lethal injection… cruel and unusual?

Indiana has lethal injection, as most death penalty states do. The offender is asleep before they inject the toxin. It’s no worse than putting an animal down. If the courts say it in cruel and unusual, then “Sparky” the family pet deserves the same ruling!

Topic: Letter of The Law / Should parole be abolished or can it reduce our relience on prisons?

I’m just starting out, in fact graduating from academy this week. Throughout my training, the emphasis is on rehabilitation. A child isn’t locked away forever because they got into the cookie jar! The field is developing programming to assist offenders to de-institutionalize and to benefit on the outside. My state starts the process as early as 18 months (I believe) before the offender “out-date”. They are required to go to classes, many obtain vocational skills long before Re-Entry, and help assist them in finding the opportunities once released. Parole is a vital step in assisting offenders remain productive in the community and to mentor them away from returning to prison. Parole, when properly done, can be like showing a child that they aren’t going to be punished forever for getting into that cookie jar. Don’t know if that really helps your paper, but I hope some veterans can add to it. Good Luck and another GREAT site to look into would be the American Correctional Assoc.. They are the governing body over all corrections departments. The site is www.aca.org. They might have useful stats on parole success.

Topic: The Club House / Starting Career in Corrections

I am graduating from CTI this week, and one of my instructors ( a 6 year veteran) mentioned forming “support groups” among fellow officers. I now I’m still pretty green, but after trying to pursue a law enforcement career for years, coming into DOC has been exciting. Among my class, we’ve already began to set up a support group. Officer Rivas is right on! Some departments have mentor programs already in place. Just remember your training and don’t let them intimidate you! Good luck!