The Strategy for 300 warriors – a fictitious scenario for Culture Change in Corrections

This is the 1st draft version - Military jargon used to illustrate intent to run a para-military type
of organization with structured lines of command. All information listed is subject to approval.
There are 10 complexes inside the Arizona Department of Corrections. Each complex has
competent and courageous persons eligible to be assembled for a revamping – restructuring
and revised strategy to return the agency back to basics, best practices, compliance with state
and federal laws and compliance with all ADOSH safety guidelines.
Upon the direction of the agency director the special assignment team of 300 warriors will be
identified by the formula of a batch report and personal references to determine:
• Professionalism
• Competency levels
• Experience
• Loyalty to agency principles
• Disciplinary history
• Grievance history
Rank or job description/ classification factors will not be used to eliminate any qualified
candidates. These individuals will be identified and interviewed by key personnel to determine
their willingness to participate voluntarily, with this project to develop a strategy for reforming
agency principles and mission statements. The body of this team will consist of 300 warriors
designated to be managed by the director or designee.

The first stage will be to gather intelligence and identify obstacles to the reform process. This
team will be formed with professional and discrete individuals based on geographic locations
and appointed to be a spokesperson for each geographical area.

Key staff shall proceed to learn about the ideologies of key administrators, managers and
supervisors to determine their compatibility or their rebuttal to comply with new directions.
Essentially these key locators will be sent as spies.

These spies will take accurate notes of everything pertinent to the mission of principles of the
agency and its new director. They will work in a subverted or clandestine manner and remain
unidentified by the team to protect their identity and keep them safe. Each spy will prioritize
their notes and concerns to address so the appropriate preventive measures can be
implemented to avoid sabotage or willful retaliation or paybacks.

Upon completion of the summation of notes, narratives and conclusions will be formulated and
managed in an order approved by the director. Key points will be a list of friend or foe
individuals as well as tactical, procedural and logistical obstacles or antagonists that may show loyalties to those identified as foes to the new principles.

This includes management teams, critical situation teams, tactical emergency response teams, CIRT teams, operational teams, classification teams, support services teams and other teams within the organization which may be resistant to the changes proposed.

The identification, eradication or elimination of such individuals will have devastating consequences in the chain of command and assurances should be made to strengthen the positions or individuals eliminated are replaced with members of the new team. Soldiers shall be named to be competent, loyal and available to replace those identified as being obstructionists.

The team of 300 warriors shall stay tightly knit and protected by the new administration. They shall be provided shields of immunity to conduct authorized intelligence gathering and assessments of administrative and operational efficiency and proficiency. They shall make recommendations to fill the gaps found and identify individuals ready to fill these gaps using a row of soldiers from the front to the back with each covering the other’s back.

The 300 warriors shall draft strategies, position papers or recommendations to replace broken principles and corruptible practices with new principles listed in a particular order while providing unity and cohesion within the ranks and file soldiers.

The 300 warriors will work on slippery slopes and indecisive management methods put into place at various locations and report them in a narrative report. They will recommend revisions to the existing director’s instructions and institutional orders to provide consistency with agency policies and procedures. In the end these narratives will lead to one policy one principle for all complexes with local authority to handle locally sensitive matters at the warden’s level while compliant with new mission statement and principles provided.

In the turmoil there will be silence. These 300 warriors shall guide instruct or replace administrative staff who are in non-compliance and non-conformists to the new principles or ethical codes established.

The strategy will be to draw out the obstructionists and disloyal soldiers identified in each individual complex. At the same time, new training procedures shall be initiated to address cultural and discipline indifference as well as elimination of discriminatory practices related to gender, race, favoritism, nepotism or political affiliations.

It will be expected that there will be resistance groups established and formulated strategies to resist change or replacement decisions based on summaries and assessments made. There will be negative management tools put in place [if not in place already] that consist of intimidation, retaliation, sterilization and profiling soldiers loyal to new principles, openly use ostracized practices, terminations, suspensions and forced resignations.

These must be addressed immediately so this process can be halted or reversed through a new due process procedures established by the Employee Resources Manager (new position in the director's office)

The strategy will key on the 300 warriors and faithful soldiers. Warnings will be given for those who contemplate treason or non-compliance of new principles. Some information will be fact checked and re-checked to assure credibility and accuracy. Nothing will be left unconfirmed or invalidated.

Warnings shall include opportunities to re-declare loyalty, retirement, resignation, or finding a better suitable position to allow their employment to exist within the agency. These individuals shall be evaluated for a period of 90 days to see if a review is warranted on their employment status.
Footnotes:
1. Warrior is a classification of an employee designated to be a key member of the change team
2. Spy is an employee designated to work with investigative purposes under the protection of the change team
3. Soldiers are designated employees of various rank and file positions ranging from CO I to Captain and CO III and CO IV

Ferguson - a Proportional Abuse of Power?

We have seen the times they are a changing but are they changing for the good or for the worst times in history? The answer lies somewhere in between the facts and concerns as the public is dealing with what appears to be a radical wave of abusive police powers that are emotionally upsetting as well as a physical threat of intimidating law abiding citizens who see this as an infringement of their Constitutional rights thus push back to these authority figures. One must say to those involved. The authority figures must be held to a higher standard than the citizens who appear to be reacting to what they see as an abuse of power. 

The strategy applied by the police appears to be psychological in nature as it is an effective tool to diminish perceived threats and control the behaviors of those who witness such intimidation tactics as well as what some call an example of excessive force. The inclusion of delivering military equipment, armored vehicles and other anti-terrorist gear makes the police force appear to be the enemy rather than a partner in the community. It is important to consider political perceptions as well as common sense approaches to deal with the problems.

The reality lies with the environmental factors that influence such decision making and allowances made to keep the peace and provide a universal blanket of safety for the majority of the population. In other words these tactics are implemented for the good of many rather than just the few involved in the incident at hand. A concept shared by many law enforcement agencies today but often misunderstood by the citizenry not trained in such ideology. 

The abuse of police power is and can also be defined as emotional abuse. It has an affect that impacts the psychology of a person or persons and alters their mindset to determine injury, negative impressions or critical decision-making on how to deal with such over-powering situations. This can be delivered verbally, non-verbally or physically with the presence of an overwhelming show of force as well as the tactical gear, uniforms, and equipment available to enhance such a show of force. 

Emotional abuse is most common amongst those who have the least amount of power either in their hierarchy or their society. Predominantly addressed to impact women and children the most, it does also impact men and eventually erodes their self-esteem, confidence, stamina or self-worth. The key is being under prolonged periods of time to determine the loss incurred. Adding more abuse to the existing abuse is detrimental to a good society.

Most commonly, this abuse is mainly associated with abusive personal relationships but for this purpose written, can be linked to abusive community relationships or authority relationships as it almost always precedes physical abuse or the use of force, whether excessive or justified.  The sad fact is that those who are abused often become the abuser to another person and the link is hardly ever broken. 

A common detrimental cause of such maltreatment is the impact on cognitive, social, and psychological behaviors. They can be detrimental and long lasting creating many problems in the future. Ignored in large part are the pre-existent conditions that lead up to such abuse. Other than litigation for mistreatment retribution or recovering from such an abuse, the phenomena is long lasting and builds mistrust as time goes by. 

From a societal point of view it may include neglecting the community’s needs, culture, feelings, or just ignoring what needs to be done to maintain a safe and secure environment. On the extreme side you may have authority figures exploiting, corrupting, blaming or showing aggression rather than the opposite qualities needs in leadership and authoritive positions to maintain positive community relationships. 

Refusing to listen, understanding or berating those who are speaking can escalate the abuse to the point of retaliation or some other passive revolt to this type of treatment. Community leaders are chosen to effectively communicate with one another and provide sound guidance to establish law and order rather than chaos. There should be no blame game in such approaches as we have to remember that in human nature, approach determines response. 

Keep in mind the effects of such emotional abuse can lead to leaving persons vulnerable to injury, harm or fear of harm. If there is no checks and balances in the lawful approach to deal with controversy then the situation is subject to escalation and more fear from the police or authority figures involved. 

The best way to avoid such tactical mistakes is to avoid creating additional abusive situations, build awareness to the problems and solutions at hand and understand and take notice of the rights and duties of those on both sides of the lines drawn in conflicting situations. The lines of communication should always remain open but the control of information is most necessary to avoid misunderstandings on incomplete facts that may cause more harm or distrust among the populace as it stands.

Amnesia Asylum

I go into darkened places where everybody hangs out getting mighty and high

I feel like paranoia is consuming me from start to finish as I taste the vulgar air of life inside a mind likened so much like a prison

With my friends by my side they tell me I am doing fine but if you really want to know more you cannot hide and run away

You have to read between the lines and show me an open door that will lead me to the inside where you can stay

I am feeling kind of lonely here inside the asylum although you are right there beside me not knowing what to do or what to say

I know that you are here somewhere near but I can’t see you with my eyes once so true and no words do I hear you say

Sometimes I wonder if this crazy place is real or fake or in my case maybe it’s just a lie

For I seem to be lost and lonely inside these walls and windows of the asylum a place where I don’t want to die

I remember the first day as well as I have forgotten tomorrow.  I remember the dreams I left behind

For every wish I made there was sorrow as I forget about the past and can’t face tomorrow

No memory can escape and no emotion can tell the way it is and the way it was

But if I can fall asleep right now and close my eyes, I am sure I can find my way back to you

I am not fine, I am not fine at all for I can’t remember where I have been

I know this place is dark and dirty but I really don’t recognize any one as kin

It’s like it never happened but yet if feels so real to me I cry as I feel roaches crawl on my skin

And if it was real how can I be fine without you’re by my side unless you aren’t there and this is all a lie

Did I wake up with amnesia or did I forget my dreams in some twisted way

If I walk a little closer to you would you stare and push me away

I forget all the little things we have done and where we have been

As time slipped away from me, I can’t hear a word you said to me even yesterday

If I am dreaming wake me up so I can see shake me up so I can see

I didn’t mean to leave you alone but alone and insane I appear to be

I remember a tear or two running down my face the other day

But the memories will never come back to me as time seems to slip away

So how do I escape this asylum I am trapped in and how do I break my dream

If I woke up right now would I recognize you again? Would I be able to see?

I remember the day you left me, I remember the day you cried

But for the life of me I can’t remember all the reasons why

End of my Days - Sharing a vision of an older man who wanted to ensure he had a shelter for his soul

Photo by Maggie Irwin

There are some concerns arising for the end of my days

There are those needs I must put away some plans for finding a shelter for my soul

I cannot leave it here or there without a protector or possessor

For the life I have lived has touched so many souls

I want to be burned and not put into the ground

I want to be open in the air and spread my ashes all around

Good fortune has followed me and I feel very blessed

But to find a shelter for my soul is now my best interest.

I made some mistakes and I have some regrets

But when the Good Lord calls me I shall carry these burdens no more

And although I have been brave and met the courage for the tasks

I now believe it’s time for me to rest.

My end game will be my new game as I see the gates of heaven nearby

And ask for forgiveness for the harm I hope the good Lord will buy

For I am sure I will need a place to stay although I cannot pay

But a place to rest and shelter for my soul is what I hope I may

Oh if my days could have been all over again

I would have spent my time getting out of the rain

But the rain was what attracted me to all I have ever asked for and seen

As a knock on a door freed me from the shadow of my name and a new life can begin

I am weary of these burdens I carried I am tired of this mortal load

To do what is right and rather than follow others or those who have told

That heaven is imaginary and often never found

But what I know is that I will fall into the arms of heaven and by God’s love I am bound