Managing cultural diversity inside prisons

Wasted Honor -

Carl R. ToersBijns is the author of the Wasted Honor Trilogy [Wasted Honor I,II and Gorilla Justice] and his newest book From the Womb to the Tomb, the Tony Lester Story, which is a reflection of his life and his experiences as a correctional officer and a correctional administrator retiring with the rank of deputy warden in the New Mexico and Arizona correctional systems.

Carl also wrote a book on his combat experience in the Kindle book titled - Combat Medic - Men with destiny - A red cross of Valor -

Carl is considered by many a rogue expert in the field of prison security systems since leaving the profession. Carl has been involved in the design of many pilot programs related to mental health treatment, security threat groups, suicide prevention, and maximum custody operational plans including double bunking max inmates and enhancing security for staff. He invites you to read his books so you can understand and grasp the cultural and political implications and influences of these prisons. He deals with the emotions, the stress and anxiety as well as the realities faced working inside a prison. He deals with the occupational risks while elaborating on the psychological impact of both prison worker and prisoner.

His most recent book, Gorilla Justice, is an un-edited raw fictional version of realistic prison experiences and events through the eyes of an anecdotal translation of the inmate’s plight and suffering while enduring the harsh and toxic prison environment including solitary confinement.

Carl has been interviewed by numerous news stations and newspapers in Phoenix regarding the escape from the Kingman prison and other high profile media cases related to wrongful deaths and suicides inside prisons. His insights have been solicited by the ACLU, Amnesty International, and various other legal firms representing solitary confinement cases in California and Arizona. He is currently working on the STG Step Down program at Pelican Bay and has offered his own experience insights with the Center of Constitutional Rights lawyers and interns to establish a core program at the SHU units. He has personally corresponded and written with SHU prisoners to assess the living conditions and how it impacts their long term placement inside these type of units that are similar to those in Arizona Florence Eyman special management unit where Carl was a unit deputy warden for almost two years before his promotion to Deputy Warden of Operations in Safford and Eyman.

He is a strong advocate for the mentally ill and is a board member of David's Hope Inc. a non-profit advocacy group in Phoenix and also serves as a senior advisor for Law Enforcement Officers Advocates Council in Chino, California As a subject matter expert and corrections consultant, Carl has provided interviews and spoken on national and international radio talk shows e.g. BBC CBC Lou Show & TV shows as well as the Associated Press.

I use sarcasm, satire, parodies and other means to make you think!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Managing cultural diversity inside prisons

By Carl ToersBijns, retired correctional specialist

Only the ill-advised person would not admit that cultures, no matter whether acceptable [to their own existence] or on a course of collision with others, shape the identities of political principles and practices within our correctional systems.

It would also take a foolish person to say that culture does not shape our uniqueness, creativity, vision and personal development in the course of sound prison management.

Today, more so than ever, we have to respect and manage our cultural diversity in order to complete those tasks, duties and responsibilities assigned to us. If left out of the picture it creates more conflicts between ethnical, political or other human related concerns thus destabilizing and hindering the progress of sound correctional practices and compliance with all laws within such a domain or setting.

Cultural diversity should be shared with cultural sensitivity training related to people issues such as team building, working and coping with difficult people and addressing the special needs of others [that includes staff, the public and the prison population] that may require specific knowledge and training related to healthcare [including the mentally ill], disability assistance or food related issues. The training should include a focus on the avoidance of using stereotypes or stigmas and assumptions and maintained with the strictest professionals standards imposed in such training environments.

These concerns will quickly eliminate obstacles that often leads to stress and frustration as well as misunderstandings if they are not addressed appropriately. One should identify and work in close collaboration with others to address staff’s ability to adapt or overcome these needs to working effectively with others different from their own. Cultural diversity is pushed by the constant influence and influx of an international migration of people from dissimilar parts of the world, different races and diverse ethnic backgrounds. Traditionally, we try to face each challenge logically and take the time to learn more about other people’s customs, beliefs, traditions and customs before imposing or integrating our own to stabilize the workforce and the workplace.

This task is a serious concern for many agencies both nationally and internationally. The constant struggles, conflicts, negative encounters can be diminished or avoided through opening your eyes to see the big picture and find the root of each cultural belief so that there is a more satisfaction intellectually & emotionally, and accomplishing the moral means to embrace its existence.

Corrections and law enforcement share an international focus group and shares its ideas, theories and concepts willingly with many so that a satisfactorily level of understanding and compliance is development world-wide. Thus in this area of concern, we have the greatest interest in managing cultural diversity effectively and according to all applicable laws written to fulfill such statutory duties while we continue to incarcerate human beings for violating our laws.

Making this a priority within a correctional setting must be mandated by those at the top. We must recognize there are no longer those traditional borders that in the past have divided us geographically along with foreign language barriers.In order to build cohesiveness and unity within an organizational concept, these barriers must be removed and allow operational concerns to work seamless and without borders or territorial disputes.

Executive staff and managers have the responsibility to address this difficulty of globalized cultural diversity and set a priority on breaking down these barriers and allow free flow of ideas and creativity to intensify their workforce into one group focused on bringing success within their span of control and grasp this responsibility with intensity bringing with them the seeds, the resolutions and the answers to ending this conflict, tension and stress among all that work there and make the job as well as the workplace more sustainable than ever before.

CEO’s and upper as well as middle executive staff should incorporate conceptions of cultural diversity in order to improve the harmony and spirit of the workplace. However, the development and implementation of such training is not sufficient to meet this challenge of change in our world. This concept must be delivered with the intensity it deserves and with the credibility desired to improve work conditions everywhere. This challenge should also include a history lessons of the past as well as the future for it can enhance the cultural heritage and competitiveness of those who work there while maintaining a respectful and dignified identification stressing cultural sensitivity and purpose.

Any questions or concerns can be forwarded to my email box at toersbijnsc@yahoo.com

Thank you