...When I first started my career at The Department of Corrections (CDCR), in Chino, California. I had no idea that deciding to become a Correctional Officer would be one of the worst career choices of my life. One day, in particular, made this abundantly clear. One single day would change my perspective on my life, confirming my ethical beliefs, affirm that no career was worth my soul and that making the correct decision can be traumatic and an isolating experience. Arriving to work that summer night, being assigned to a sick relief position could place me anywhere in the prison for my shift. My position for the night would be the Reception Center (RC). The RC is known not only for the smell that seeps from underneath the door as you approach....
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...any law enforcement officer’s career is the ability to cope and deal with stress. Stress in the workplace is a significant factor in most career fields and has spurred numerous scientific studies (Beehr, 1995, Jex, 1998). Law enforcement is no exception to work related stress, and could be considered by some to be one of the most stressful fields of work. Using the Beehr and Newman Facet Model (Beehr and Newman,1978), Employees in a work environment can be affected by both personal situations and workplace situations. Depending on how employees deal with stress, it can affect both their personal lives, and their lives in the workplace. For law enforcement officers, stress at the workplace can arise from being involved in dangerous situations, experiencing traumatic injuries to other individuals, or being required to work unconventional hours. Officer’s need to deal with these stressors, and can do so in both positive and negative ways. Some positive ways an officers can deal with stress is through exercise or developing new hobbies. Negative responses to stress can manifest themselves in such destructive ways as alcoholism and drug abuse. If Officer’s are unable to develop positive ways to deal with stress, it could possibly lead to career ending mistakes. Inmate/officer Conflict Much research and many studies have been performed on the relationship between inmates and correctional officers. If you could take a census between the officers they would address such issues...
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...to write on “The American Correctional Association (ACA)” I chose this organization because I was a member when I was a correctional officer. This organization helps officers deal with everyday life behind bars. It teaches us how and what steps to take when dealing with inmates and other correctional officers. As an officer of the criminal justice system we are held to certain standards amongst the community and profession. Like any other position in this field we must deal with certain individuals that by law was convicted of some serious crimes. Being a correctional officer, we are not there to be judge, jury and executioner of the person that was convicted. Our job is to enforce certain rules and regulations while they are incarcerated. Another part of our job is to provide a safe and secure place for both inmates and there visitors. If an inmate breaks the rules set forth by the Department of Corrections, that inmate will be subjected to either additional time in prison for his offense, sent to another jail and/or solitary confinement. This organization is the American Correctional Association (ACA). The ACA is an organization that it’s members are dedicated to serving in the prison system, provide a expert union for all individuals and groups, both public and private that share a universal goal of humanizing the justice system. It is the umbrella organization for all areas of corrections, including federal, state and military correctional facilities and prisons,...
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...CJ101 Introduction to Criminal Justice Westwood College Career Option Overview Information Law enforcement Policing is the career position in law enforcement that I will like to achieve. Police duties are to pursue and apprehend individuals, issue citations or give warnings, maintain order and records of crimes, patrols and respond to calls for service, direct traffic at the scene of an accident and give first aid to an accident victim. (Bls.2020-11 Edition) The daily work of the police varies with the local, state, or federal agency that they may be working with. Regardless of their job duties or location, all police officers are to write reports and maintain records that will be needed if they have to testify in court. Every officer has a specific jurisdiction and enforcement responsibilities. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, “police officers work with special units, such as horseback, bicycle, motorcycle, or harbor patrol; canine corps special weapons and tactics (SWAT).” (2010-11 Edition). The educational requirements of this position, range from a high school diploma to a collage degree or higher. The candidate must also be U.S citizen, and usually at least 21 years or older. This is an entry-level position that can be applied for while in school with some agencies. There is also an additional training required in the police academy which is often for a period of 12 to 14 weeks after graduation. According to discover policing...
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...This PowerPoint Presentation is well-developed, and carefully synthesized an abundance of information. Personally, I found this PowerPoint to be an easy read with great slide themes and color backgrounds. This PowerPoint presentation was extremely informative, as it covered a variety of job qualifications upon gaining employment with the FBI. For example, the desired age for applicants is between 23 to 37 years of age; the FBI Academy is located in Quantico, Virginia; the minimum job requirement is a Bachelors Degree, and the yearly salary of $69,000 is very appealing. Probation Officer: Magna Gonzalez The Probation Officer PowerPoint is filled with excellent visual references. In my opinion, visual aides in a PowerPoint increases...
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...the criminal justice system. Three of the main parts of the criminal justice system are law enforcement, the courts and prisons. Law enforcement includes jobs such as sheriffs and patrol officers.The court system offers careers in law. Correctional facilities and prisons include jobs such as counseling and correctional officers. There are many jobs involved in law enforcement. The sheriff, the highest-ranking officer in law enforcement, oversees the entire department. The sheriff is an elected office that is voted on by the citizens of the county. Once elected a sheriff holds a four year term. After the four-year term a sheriff can be reelected an unlimited amount of times. The sheriff has several duties both in his office and outdoors. These duties include uniformed patrol, crime prevention, and criminal investigations. The sheriff also has some of the duties of a patrol officer such as apprehending violators of the law and assisting in prosecutions. Two basic requirements of a sheriff are that you must be a United States citizen and you must not have any prior felony convictions. In Washington State the average salary for a sheriff is about $4005 per month. A law enforcement or patrol officer maintains law and order in a certain area. People who are interested in becoming a...
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...To become a Juvenile correctional officer, one must be at least 18 years old, although, many programs require candidates to be at least 21 years old. Candidates, usually take a written entrance exam and physical fitness assessment. There are five steps to the hiring process to become a Juvenile corrections officer. Candidates are subject too: background checks, polygraph examinations, psychological evaluations, medical examinations, and a urinalysis [drug screening.] New Juvenile corrections officers undergo “basic academy training” from state or local agencies upon being hired. Throughout their careers, the officers are expected to undergo annual in-service training. Coarse work covered in basic training for officers include: Juvenile Rights,...
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...blur those lines. The title correctional officers already hold power because they are enlisted superior over inmates. Enforcing a form of corrections can create its battles, especially when correctional officers assume they should have inmates’ full cooperation. On the other hand, inmates demand respect too because just like correctional officers, they are human also. The demand of receiving and giving respect can certainly ensue a power struggle between correctional officers and inmates. As a correctional officer, being reprimanded with disrespect daily could disrupt the moral standards I am required to embrace. Enduring constant rudeness can become frustrating and may unleash a great deal of fury. Controlling my impulses and anger can present a challenge when attempting to maintain control on my unit. Inflicting bodily harm on inmate will be dishonorable to my duties for the fact I am a symbol of protection for inmates. Also, inflicting bodily harm will disobey standards granted for prisoners because they have the right to be protected and free from harm by correctional officers and other inmates (Correctional Policy and Procedure,...
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...Plan for Recruiting and Training Correctional Staff Patricia Saylor Dexter Levin Corrections November 24, 2013 With the increased growth in the level of lawbreakers and the high level of inmates in jails and correctional facilities in proportion to the shortage in correction officers, there has been a growing need for recruitment of more professional correctional staff to help in curbing this issue. With this in mind, the position that the State Director of Corrections will hold shall entail a number of responsibilities. One among the greatest ones will be coming up with a plan for recruiting and training correctional officers. Correctional officers are part of the criminal justice system where their work deals with overseeing arrested individuals who are awaiting trial or overseeing inmates. Planned recruitment and training will ensure continuity and professionalism in the practice leading to enhanced public safety, respect for all humans and upholding of their rights and more sound correctional practices in communities enhancing the community’s faith in the law. Effective management of policies will result in saving of finances, since trained officers will know how to deal with situations better hence lowering the level of injuries incurred at work. Good management policies will result in improvement of correctional officers’ performance, since better terms of work will be adapted thus increasing the officers’ morale to work. Good management policies will lead to...
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...BOOK SMARTS OR STREET SMARTS THE ON GOING DEBATE TODAY AMONG CORRECTION OFFICERS REBECCA KIRBY PROFESSOR STEPHEN N. KNIGHTS, JR. OCTOBER 18, 2014 INTRODUCTION This paper will be discussing the debate on whether or not higher education in law enforcement officers should be mandatory and the effect it can have in the correctional facilities. It will also have insight from a local police officer on the education debate. As of today, only two states, Minnesota and Wisconsin require a police officer to obtain at least an associate’s degree. Other states carry a much lower standard, only asking for a high-school diploma or a GED to satisfy their requirements. It is often said that the criminal justice system and corrections are a booming business. Over the past two decades, the need for staff has increased and the need for education has also increased. But is it street smarts you need or is it book smarts? TOPIC: WORK ETHICS As a correctional officer there are many things that go into what they do. They have to be professional, understanding, logical, compassionate, intelligent, and reasonable. A correctional officer has many jobs while on duty and the police department asks a lot of them. Determining if an officer needs to have a college education is difficult. Debate on this controversy has led to the study of work ethics surrounding officers who do have some sort of formal education. This research dates back to the 1930s by August Vollmer and later...
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...I interviewed correctional officer Brian Sanchez from City Of New York Police Department 67 precinct. He began his career in the 67th precinct as a patrolman in 1989. In 1994, Brian was promoted to chief of police. Brian has his bachelors of science in criminal justice from John Jay College for Criminal Justice (University) and a masters of science in forensics from the same school. Since his time working as police officer, he also did numerous of volunteer work and some classroom instructions. In 2003, Brian later switched his mindset and became a correctional officer. As much as he loved being a patrolman and working as a police officer, Brian said he couldn't hide his passion to help inmates. Growing up he was also told to be a policeman because his mother wanted him to follow in his father’s footsteps. He didn’t choose the job because he wanted to please his mom; he did it because it’s what’s inside him to do. He's been working as a correctional officer for approximately eight years and says that he loves his job and he never gets stressed a day in his life. His passion didn’t come easy, but it came with hard work. He had to go through series of classes and training. There were days when he felt defeated but he kept going. He now uses what he was thought as well as his knowledge to help others make a better change for their lives. I was surprised at the smiles he had during the interview. I have never seen someone so profoundly happy about his or her career. It's like the...
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...*Ensuring professionalism amung the corrections staff should be easy seeing it is a professional career. During training you are taught that there are certain things you do and dont do. Correctional officers go through a similar training that the police recruits do. Being a corrections officer is not easy your job is maintaining a jail everyday. Work environment affects jail staff. Positive work situations could also help the professionalism in the work environment. Positive relations with coworkers and work standards (rules and policies) can also have a big impact. Also Correctional officers need to change the way that they view and/or handle their jobs. In a work place you bring what you feel. If you feel sloppy about the job, thats exactly how your going to treat your your position. The attitude towards the people your serving can have a major impact achieving professionalism. In the field of corrections, careers will take time to improve itself. This industry may come off unprofessional but it is far from that. Every manager must help the correction officers keep these professional standards as well. The support from peirs will help the officers understand what is expected of them and help mandate the *Thankfully a very small percentage (less than 5) exhibits he unprofessional disruptive behavior. Very small percentage but still plays a big role when it shouldnt happen at all. * private prisions are somewhat in the same catagory as non private facilities...
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...parole and probation officers make planned visits to the homes and workplaces of offenders. They work with neighborhood associations and religious groups to check up on the behavior of offenders. They ensure that the people they supervise enroll in substance abuse rehabilitation and job training programs, as ordered by the court. It is the probation and parole officer's main goal to keep offenders from repeating past crimes or violating parole and ending up returning to prison. Convicted criminals are often placed on probation in lieu of prison sentences. Individuals who've completed their prison sentences often get placed on parole after being released. While on probation or parole, convicted criminals are required to remain drug free, refrain from committing crimes, and adhere to other requirements. Parole officers have similar responsibilities as probation officers, but parole officers monitor released prison inmates, while probation officers assist individuals serving probation sentences rather than prison sentences. Parole and probation officers are responsible for supervising people serving parole and probation sentences. While serving probation or parole sentences, some offenders are required to wear electronic anklets to keep track of where they spend their time. Probation and parole officers assist the people they supervise obtain vocational training and drug rehabilitation counseling. Probation and parole officers typically hold bachelor's...
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...highest incarceration rate in the globe- the field forensic psychology is still considered at its early stages. (Bartol and Bartol, 2012) My two personal favourite theorists are Dr. Roger Hare, and Dr. Lorna Rhodes. There are many reasons as to why I chose these two theorists as my favorite for their efforts and contribute in to the field forensic psychology, and correctional services. It was noted by Dr. Gibbons and Dr. Katzenbach (2011)… “What happens inside jails and prisons does not stay inside jails and prisons” (Gibbons and Katzenbach, 2011, p.36). Being surrounded by negativity, fear, anxiety, rumors, hostility, and threat of physical violence have a profound effect on both the staff and offenders in a correctional facility. Dr. Gibbons and Dr. Katzenbach(2011) further state “when people lived and worked in facilities that are unsafe, unhealthy, unproductive, or inhumane, they carry the effects home with them”( Gibbons and Katzenbach, 2011,p.36). United States has one of the largest and highest incarceration rate-approximately 2.2 million individuals, with expenditure of $60 billion annually on correctional services. (Gibbons and Katzenbach, 2011) Mash (2013) notes contribution to the field of forensic...
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...understanding of our criminal system. Serving as law enforcement, correctional probate, U.S. marshal, homicide specialist, or even a paralegal has so many benefits. Going into this career as an entry-level graduate with an associate’s degree preparing, is defiantly a requirement. Achieving overall success in this field makes education essential. Across the nation there is a very high demand for the criminal justice career sector. The growth is continuous, threw out several decades to come estimates showing at least a ten percent by the year 2018. Becoming a criminal investigator has lots of benefits, serving your community being evolved in solving crimes, the personal profile, such a positive job outlook, as well as the salary (RTI, 1958) Everyone wants and needs money, law enforcement and correctional probate officers average twenty-eight dollars and hour approximately 80,000 annually ("Crime scene investigator," 2012)Special agents, U.S. Marshalls, and paralegal careers for example receive better earnings such as 140,000 and higher. Not every career is undemanding and leisurely. Criminal Investigations particularly is among the more commonly known as very demanding, stressful, challenging, or even at times problematic. Preparing is a must; you have to be ready mentally as well as physically. Some crime scenes you come across can be critical and appalling. However in a position of correctional probate you require to be very stern. Juvenile probate corrections...
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