Workplace Challenges in a Correctional Environment - Essay Example

Having worked as a Correctional Officer for two years in the Department of Corrections and Public Safety at a Maximum Security Prison, the problem of poor leadership is more eminent now than when I first entered the institution. Poor leadership has been characterized by a lack of dynamism and stiffness toward a paradigm shift. The dynamic nature of the correctional facility environment calls for dynamic leadership in the efforts to embrace changes caused by various aspects of correctional facility management.

Relevant Research
Lack of pragmatic leadership in correctional facilities is one of the primary causes of stress among correctional officers. Whereas theoretical ideologies are important in running a correctional facility, practical and realistic leadership is necessary for smooth running. Correctional officers often find themselves sandwiched between obeying the law and dealing with issues that need practical knowledge. According to Marchese (2013), correctional officers need to understand, among other things, the psychological behavioral changes among prisoners, understand gang behavior, learn new technologies, as well legal aspects of managing gangs. On the other hand, they are also expected to work in tandem with correctional facility leaders who at times follow the law by the book. Lack of pragmatic leadership coupled with bureaucracy is indeed a part of a larger problem affecting correctional facilities.

Poor leadership that has turned a blind eye to the hierarchy of needs for correctional officers is partly to blame for poor employee performance in these institutions. According to Udechukwu 2009, prisons and correctional facilities have recorded a significant number of employee turnover largely because the management failed to recognize the different hierarchy of needs for correctional officers. It is worth noting that correctional officers have a different hierarchy of needs eliciting the need for proficient leaders to point out individual needs and find ways to satisfy those specific needs. For the two years I have worked in a correctional facility, good pay has always been one of the motivational factors I have been looking for. Others have simply been looking for promotions and recognition as part of achieving their hierarchy of needs.

One of the primary elements of effective leadership is the ability to pioneer and nurture an effective organizational structure. Indeed, an organizational structure is a reflection of the leadership qualities of the people mandated to manage a given organization or institution. Correctional facilities are marked by restrictive organizational structures that overburden the low hierarchy of employees with tasks as opposed to high-ranking officers (Finney, Stergiopoulos, Hensel, Bonato, & Dewa, 2013). In some correctional facilities, specific roles are not clearly defined causing a conflict of interest within different departments. For instance, whereas junior officers are directly involved in handling inmates, they are held responsible when orders from above go bad. Oftentimes, it is difficult to know where to report different types of incidents. Arguably, the last place to find servant leadership is indeed in correctional facilities.

Additionally, a lack of consistency in correctional facility leadership leads to stalled implementation processes. For instance, whereas new technologies are welcomed with enthusiasm, implementation strategies fade with time. Implementation of such technologies depends on the leadership skills of the involved leaders (Lambert, Hogan, Barton, & Clarke, 2002). Poor leadership leads to poor implementation of such technologies leading to conflicting roles, communication, management, and work processes. For instance, whereas motion sensor cameras help in managing inmates, low-rank officers need to be trained on how to use and manage information from such cameras.

Whereas work abuse is a common phenomenon in many institutions, work abuse is more prevalent in correctional facilities largely because of the violent nature of inmates. Poor leadership arguably leads to higher rates of work abuse especially in cases where leaders or managers do not respond appropriately to address the problem. For instance, it has been observed that violence in correctional facilities especially when it involves correctional officers and health professionals (Cashmore, 2013) is the ‘new normal’ Whereas effective leadership can understand this as a problem worth solving, poor leadership sees it as an acceptable problem.

Discussion

The success or failure of a correctional facility lies in the hands of effective leadership. Whereas the need for effective leadership is a global problem, the sensitive nature of correctional facilities calls for top-notch leadership. After working in a correctional facility for two years, I suffice as a classic example of a recipient of poor leadership. My line of duty demands interacting with rogue and violent criminals in an environment where violence is part of the job. Whereas work issues are eminent in all work situations, poor leadership has been the primary cause of work-related stress in my line of duty. It can be proposed that leaders in correctional facilities be provided with periodic robust training to enable them to handle the diverse issues facing these institutions. Managing finances, tens of officers, hundreds of inmates, new technologies, problems of diseases, and litigations, among other challenges, call for high-quality leadership.

Conclusion
Conclusively, poor leadership in correctional facilities is rifer now than ever before. The ever-changing dynamics of the correctional facility environment demand a synergistic application of leadership skills. Whereas the primary objective of a correctional facility is to keep bad societal elements away from society, it is also imperative that leadership considers the working environment for all correctional officers and other employees. Undeniably, job satisfaction within correctional facilities should be as high as other jobs but this can only be possible with effective leadership.   Read More