Wasted Honor -- - Say What you Need To Say......: Corrections

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday, February 17, 2014

Corrections – Crossing Boundaries

Crossing boundaries in Corrections is a relentless concern for both administrators and employees that work there. One must realize that such crossings come in different forms and impact the environment in many diverse ways. Unfortunately, many employees have not given the act too much concern as they don’t realize the potential effects it has on their lives, their career and their health. Whether the crossover is sexual or nonsexual, the perils still exists and creates major disruptions in their ability to perform the job assigned and the harm done towards someone’s credibility that goes along with being a corrections employee.

Corrections employees hold many different positions that require them to intermingle with prisoners and other persons. One needs to realize the importance of maintaining a level of objectivity within their scope of duties as becoming subjective in nature will only draw them deeper into an abyss one can rarely escape from without some kind of harm or conspicuous exploitation of their existence and reputations.

Some of the immediate results of such crossings of boundaries include a prompt condemnation by co-workers for you becoming involved with an inmate or inmate’s family as their trust in you evaporates instantly. They will view you as a policy breaker and risk taker but most of all, they will consider you to have betrayed them and identify you as someone that cannot be a friend or even associate with after receiving knowledge of such dishonorable interactions.

Correctional employees denounce the concept of betrayal and breaking boundaries. It has an asserted position that cannot be reversed and forgiven no matter how much time passes by. Someone that breaks their lines with their coworkers and peers can expect rigid, cold and standoffish aloofness from their former teammates, co-workers or friends. They will lose any feelings of empathy and will be dealt with in the most destructive negative behavioral correctness that will offend many and cause them to either quit their job or ask for a re-assignment.

The most constructive way to handle such cross overs is to resign and leave the corrections field. Although that may seem a bit harsh it impacts your health and wellness much more than you might ever expected and could create hostilities that may cause harm to you or your family. The consequences are endless but nevertheless undesirable in nature. Some agencies initiate immediate misconduct reports and launch internal investigations that may reveal violations of law or your code of conduct which may result in your termination.

Remaining to work inside a jail or prison will only draw more criticism, disruptions and elevate distrust of your mere existence within the same environment as those offended. It will draw a cynicism that is harmful to your health and invokes pain and other complexities very difficult to handle and still maintain the ability to do the job correctly.

It has been known to break a person’s morale, ethics and their cornerstone practices leaving them nothing but defensive postures whenever approached by someone that asserts their role to question your integrity or purpose for doing things no matter how insignificant they may be. Regardless of what your own reasons were, these actions carry with them violations of being a reputable person and condemnation is always a sure response to your presence.

Working within the established guidelines is the best advice given in such moments where the emotional aspect may override the practical side of you. Being human you may not want to surrender your emotions to the situation but the consequences for such a submission will be sanctions designed to minimize your presence, effectiveness and existence within such a hostile setting.

It is and has always been the rule to remain focused on these boundaries that divide fairness from partiality. They are designed for a purpose and becoming emotionally involved in relationships has often been regarded as a means to satisfy your own gratifications and total disregard for the institutional concerns around you as it compromises your ability to make good decisions when you become emotionally involved in unapproved relationships.

Removing the emotional part of your job is difficult but may allow you to be switched to a role of empathy where you may still be kind and even compassionate but never delving into the abyss of sympathy or other personalized emotional qualities that draw you in to the relationship rather than a controlled interaction between two or more persons with clear defined and structured ethical visionary expectations.

Remaining focused and dispassionate in your job reduces stress as it will spiral downward when you perform within the boundaries given or provided. You will work in a less confusing and unexploited work environment making your contributions safe and comprehensive - free from unwarranted criticism as well as negative subjectivity by your peers. Although you may think you do not care what others think the impact is much more severe than you may realize when chastised and blackballed because of mistrust and betrayal issues in the workplace.

Clear and consistent boundaries provide you structured ground which you can defend based on ethical and morally sound values. It is understandable that one cannot avoid all nonprofessional interactions but relying on these boundaries to break away from any temptations is something you can depend upon at all times. Doing so will allow your integrity, your reputation and your professional judgment intact.