June 02, 2007

Ethics and prison?

As a Correctional officer I often wonder what Ethics has to do with me. After all, I work in a prison; why should I care about ethics? The ones I keep watch over certainly did not care. Why in a prison should ethics matter? Isn't that the chaplains job? I think it matters because inmates watch me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. My fellow officers watch me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. My fellow officers do because whether we want to acknowledge it or not, we work in teams. How we relate to each other is a matter of ethics. It is fundamental to being a human being. So, yes, even in prisons ethics matter; it matters even more here than in any other job in America. Ever hear the terms "Fair, Firm and Consistent"? Think that phrase does not go to the core of ethical behavior?

Consistent. To me that means I apply the rules to everybody: inmate or officer; to the staff on the tier, to the office personnel, to the adminstrative staff, to the tier porter; Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, Protestant, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist; I apply the rules equally to each and every one. I try as best as I can to apply the rules consistently, across the board.

Firm. Even in those situations where I feel uncomfortable, where a fellow staff member was weak and fell down and broke a rule and I have to own up to it, I must be strong in my conviction about being consistent. Every time I interact with an inmate, there are a group of inmates watching. In fact, they watch us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In a sense, the tier is a stage and I'm the actor on it. They are looking for that moment when I am weak. Some watch me to exploit my weaknesses. They are looking to see if I am are weak every time in that situation. They may even create a situation that is similar just to see if that is my weakness. But as a correctional officer, I have to be firm. I can bend, I can have my moment of weakness, but I have to return to that sense of firm as soon as I can. I have to maintain that sense of professionalism in order to be effective.

Fair. We are human. It is hard to be fair. There is the inmate who is always helpful. There are those inmates who get short changed through no fault of their own or anyone elses. But I must be fair. I must treat everybody equally. The only thing that I have going is my word: can I be trusted to do the right thing. And inmates and fellow staff know what is the right thing. When the system fails and fails in a major way, that may be the only thing that may save my life. The inmates will remember that this officer was fair, even when I did not need to be. Fair. Firm. Consistent. When I go out onto that stage, I model for inmates ethical behavior and what is the right thing to do. I want to be a guiding light. I want them to see that there is fruit on this tree, & if I am able to make a good enough of an example I may even be able to lead someone who is lost to Christ. Although I get my check from this fine state I live in, sharing the goodness of God is my #1 job & duty. I am a follower of Christ trying to meet others where they are and lead them closer to Christ. Why else would He have me working in a prison?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

"When I go out onto that stage, I model for inmates ethical behavior and what is the right thing to do."

Excellent. This should be the mentality of all LEOs and COs. As far as the fact that the inmates aren't necessarily ethical people, two wrongs don't make a right. I applaud your sense of duty as a human being in a position to make a difference. After all, most of these inmates will get out one day, and it is people like yourself who may create empathy and positive change in them. Take care.