Challenges in Correctional Management
A review of challenges serves as a roadmap to identify opportunities for improvement. In correction institutions, the most valuable, and costly, asset is the workforce. Thereby, effort has been put to ensure that they are comfortable and secure. The facilities ensure that the employees have the chance to progress in their careers and feel appreciated on the job. All these make employee workforce management is essential.
Regardless of how well up the economy is, correction institutions hardly get an increase in funding. Prisons are costly to put up and, when operational, costly to maintain. This mostly applies to institutions purposed to accommodate the most threatening inmates. Therefore, patchwork repairs are done to ensure the old correctional facilities are operating rather than building new facilities. This compromises the security of the employees as inmates have a higher chance of taking advantage of the deteriorated facilities.
Staff safety is a factor of inmate violence, specifically in the risky sections of the prison department. Since correctional facilities detain the dangerous inmates longer, it increases the possibility of reoccurrence of violence within the institution. Whenever prisoners fight, the prison employees have to intervene and settle the matter. This intervention exposes employees to the threat. Does Not only inmate-on-inmate fights affect employee security, but also some violent prisoners target the employees.
Technological advancements are a concern for correction centers. Limited funding restricts them from spending money on technology that would be advantageous to the facilities and employees. Meanwhile, increased miniaturization of devices has significantly benefited prisoners. Take a look at how tiny some telecommunication devices are currently. It is easy for inmates to smuggle these small devices into the facility and to conceal them. Concerns about contrabands increase as technology continues to advance.
Despite reports from the United States Justice Department that there is a decrease in inmate populations, majority prisons are congested. The overcrowding is caused by the fact that most of the prisoners that are set free are the ones that pose a minimal danger, but the number of prisoners that pose more threat remains constant. The correctional institutions that have high security and can securely accommodate these inmates are limited. This results in a high ratio of staff to prisoners.
Staff retention is a concern in correctional institutions. The employees are exposed to dangerous people and have to be vigilant about their safety. More so, these staffs are the lowest paid in the criminal justice system. Most staff are leaving jobs in this sector because the risks outweigh the rewards. Cumulatively, continuous exposure to danger becomes too much for the employee to bear. As a result, most of the staff prefer to leave for other job opportunities that have better work conditions.
Factors that cause prisoners to commit suicide.
Among the most common causes of suicide is that of mental illness. Often at times, anxiety disorder may be accompanied by depression. Often at times, anxiety and depression go hand in hand. Anxiety may be a symptom of depression. Likewise, elevated symptoms of depression can be triggered by an anxiety disorder (Tomczak, 2018). Having been imprisoned may lead to depression in a person. This makes it difficult for them to feel pleasure or be happy. Inmates with depressive symptoms stand a higher risk of committing suicide. It is usual for new prisoners to feel anxious about a change in the environment. The combination of loneliness and fear can result in contemplation of suicide suffer from untreated depression.
References
Tomczak, P. (2018). Prison Suicide. doi: 10.1332/policypress/9781529203585.001.0001
Workforce management: A key challenge in corrections. (2013, April 21). Retrieved from https://www.correctionsone.com/products/police-technology/software/jail-management/articles/workforce-management-a-key-challenge-in-corrections-2tIRHD4GLt9nfIqD/