Analysis of a Correctional Captain in Alabama - Essay Example

? Responsibility of a Correctional Captain in the Of Alabama Introduction A correctional captain is responsible for the accomplishment of various significant tasks. The notion of correction encompasses a major commitment on the part of American society to deal with the people convicted of criminal law violations. The increase in the number of offenders under supervision in the past decade has caused a major expansion of correctional facilities, staff and budgets. In this regard, correctional captain is bestowed with the task to report to the designee or Sheriff. Moreover, a correctional captain is mainly accountable for the proficient functioning of a crucial organizational unit of the Sheriff Department. The correctional captain is endowed the role of supervising Correctional Lieutenants along with Correctional Sergeants and clerical as well as technical staff (Fresno County, 1999). A correctional captain reviews the written materials such as job descriptions, counsels the inmates and their families, inspects areas of operational responsibilities, participates in committee activities, meetings and programs, develops written administrative guidelines, interviews individuals regarding various aspects such as litigation, monitors institutional operations, activities and job assignments along with writing document information. A correctional captain needs to have expert knowledge in the above mentioned fields. The Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) Administrative Regulation (AR) develops the responsibilities, procedures and policies for the implementation and development of professional guidance programs that comply with the federal and state requirements for ADOC employees. ADOC law enforcement employees include correctional sergeant, correctional officer, correctional lieutenant, correctional warden, correctional training director, correctional captain, correctional canine handler supervisor, correctional canine handler, correctional community program director and correctional investigative services officer (State of Alabama Department of Corrections, 2008). Responsibilities of a correctional captain include various tasks in terms of financial, managerial and operational area of the organization. In this research study, responsibilities of a correctional captain in the state of Alabama have been discussed elaborately. Explanation of the Responsibilities of a Correctional Captain in the State Of Alabama The responsibilities of a correctional caption are defined and regulated by the Alabama Department of Corrections. The Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) is the agency responsible for imprisonment of convicted felons in the state of Alabama in the United States. Correctional captains generally review the reports, job descriptions, regulations, and trade journals along with making proper employee evaluations and budget expenditures using administrative regulations, directives and laws. They are also responsible for making incoming and outgoing correspondences and job descriptions in order to determine summarized actions required to initiate documentations. They follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) with regard to auditing reports, administrative regulations and accounting manuals in order to encourage optimistic community relations, ensure adequate financial solidity, gather and distribute information. Budget expenditure needs to be formulated in a way so that it can ensure proper utilization of organization’s resources and in this regard the correctional captain serves the purpose. To evaluate and ensure accurate, efficient, effective and complete daily operations, a correctional captain delegates particular tasks to the employees regarding the matter of preparation of organizational reports along with controlling of the treatment programs, vehicle maintenance, logistical and fiscal matters using job descriptions and available resources. They take various initiatives to assess and ensure well-organized and efficient daily operations like preparation of technical manuals, proper time management and evaluation of written & verbal directives. Time is a very crucial as well as a critical factor of the organization. Proper time management is necessary for the timely deliverance of the organizational accountabilities. With the proper job descriptions and time management, correctional captain reduces the operational time, hence expenditures related to operations also get reduced. They also perform a number of statutory oriented tasks such as exchange information regarding laws and regulations such as statues related with the federal, state and local bodies. Counseling employees serves a major advantageous purpose in order to enhance the efficiency of the employees and the organization as a whole. Counseling also includes the facets of finances, family, social and religious readjustment, institutional regulation, work routine, behavior, personal hygiene, rule violations, interpersonal relations and target setting that are evaluated by correctional captains. With the help of counseling, major drawbacks of the employees can be brought in front of the management of the organization. After reviewing the drawbacks, further decisions can be taken for the improvement of the correctional employees. The responsibilities and the tasks of the correctional captains are concerned with the counseling of the inmates, Department of Corrections (DOC) employees and inmates’ families. Presently, most of the organizations are concerned with the safety aspects of its employees because employees are treated as human resources in the organization. Ensuring organizational safety is another vital task of the correctional captains. They ensue organizational cleanliness, prevent fire, security, health and hazards with an aim to uphold efficient and effective operations of the organization. They are responsible to maintain the proper workplace environment. Correctional captains take various steps to prevent the matter of safety lack within the facility. With regard to operational activities, the inspection of the financial accounts such as financial statements is critical factor. Expertise knowledge and skills are necessary for the proper inspection of the financial accounts, thus the correctional captains need to have higher level of competency. Misleading financial accounts can lead to the total collapse of the organizational structure. Correctional captains ensure the correctness of the facts, figures and statutory disclosures of the financial accounts and prevent others from the act of fraud. On the other hand, they also help the organization to delegate specific tasks to the specific employees. Job specification helps the employees to concentrate and focus on the areas of their interest. Hence, the productivity level also increases. Correctional captains also participate in the conferences, activities, meetings and other programs of the facility, where they share their diverse knowledge of practices in the fields of budget planning, specialized and advanced training, escape apprehensions and grievances among others. In addition, they also hold the responsibility and the authority to develop written administrative guidelines. These guidelines include unit procedures and policies, objectives, goals, standards, training procedures and training schedules. Failure of the compliance of the respective guidelines is a punishable act within the organization. Vision of the organization is correctly displayed in the guidelines provided by the correctional captains. Predetermined mission and vision statement helps the facility to achieve its goal by complying with the same directions as stated in the guidelines. Apart from writing administrative guidelines, a correctional captain interviews the employees of the DOC (Department of Corrections). For conducting better resourceful staffing activity, correctional captains fill the vacant positions of the organization and evaluate various sectional needs along with assessing related projects, programs and work performances of the employees. They always take initiatives to make the public aware about the organization or facility and endorse job satisfaction of the employees. Job satisfaction improves the psychological behavior of the employees, which in turn enables to enhance the level of productivity of the employees. In this regard, correction captains benefit the facility. Correctional captains also closely monitor the aspects such as physical inventories, facility vehicles, supplied properties and equipment. Suppliers are one of the important stakeholders of the organization. Supply of the proper raw materials at the right time and the right place ensures efficient production. Correctional Captains also hold the power to make necessary changes in the regulations regarding the institutional operations and activities to enhance the facility operations. In keeping with the worldwide changes that are talking place in correctional facilities, the responsibilities of a correctional captain are also evolving. Thus, a correctional captain needs to remain cautious regarding the requirement to make necessary changes within the governing rules and regulations so that any kind of discrepancies does not arise in the operational procedure of the facility. Conclusion A correctional captain in the state of Alabama possesses a prestigious position in the correctional facility. The correctional captain needs to be a part of a diverse set of activities within the organizational premises. From the overall assessment, it is observed that a correctional captain supervises and maintains law and order amid the general populaces of correctional facility. Essential skills of a correctional captain embrace self-defense, communication and the capability to work efficiently in perilous and high-stress conditions. It is worth mentioning that the Alabama Department of Corrections plays a major role in the facets related to employment in the field of corrections. Currently, the department offers its personnel sufficient career advancement opportunities in correctional field. In this department the responsibilities bestowed upon a correctional captain are widespread and he/she plays an omnipotent role to ensure effective functioning of the facility. From a boarder point of view, it can be ascertained that the responsibilities of a correctional captain start with the establishment of an organization and grows with its operations as the time progresses. Overall development of the organization may not be possible without the involvement of correctional captains and for this purpose a correctional captain in the State of Alabama fulfills numerous duties and responsibilities. Consequently, the correction captain needs to develop his/her knowledge of information and awareness on a frequent basis in order to keep abreast with the changing requirements of correctional facilities. References Fresno County. (1999). Correctional Captain. Retrieved from http://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&ved=0CDMQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.co.fresno.ca.us%2Fviewdocument.aspx%3Fid%3D10334&ei=WUHFUfj-DcKzrge59oHQBQ&usg=AFQjCNEIiccTDfd6JoVKyYAeywqcVTaQdw&sig2=B3yvmWLTjYUqV7PVd1ebdw State of Alabama Department of Corrections. (2008). General. Retrieved from http://www.doc.state.al.us/docs/adminregs/ar219.pdf Read More