As most would tell you, corrections is not for everyone. It’s a career that will test your heart and push you to the limits. If you want to survive in this world, you have to know your vulnerabilities and you have to be willing to listen to others who have walked the walk before you.
Experience is key in this profession and can never be replaced with classroom knowledge. Below is a list of advice from senior staff that will help you survive your career in corrections.
After reading these tips and sharing your favorites with your colleagues, leave your tip at the end of the article. We are especially interested in tips about safety, de-escalation and professional development.
Just some friendly advice
1. The best advice I was given when I started was to be firm, fair and consistent because at the end of the day the inmates are still human beings. I was also told not to change from day to day, be very consistent in who you are so the inmates know what you expect of them. — Jonathan Casteel
2. A grievance just means you’re doing your job. — Paul Busch
3. Simple respect will make your job a lot easier. — Zack Robinson
4. The best advice....Do not argue with inmates....give them a directive and step....verify later....don’t press them out in front of other inmates....Respect is the key. Also, When drama pops off on a block....watch out for baby oil sprayed on the floor. Listen more, talk less. And size means nothing. — Andre Andrews
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5. To slow down and make sure I set the tone not the inmates. — Joe Mynaugh
6. 8 and skate! — Vee Surdo
7. Always say no. You can more easily turn a no into a yes but you cant turn a yes into a no. — Larry Davidson
8. Know yourself! Know your vulnerabilities! And, most importantly, remember this, “anyone can be manipulated.” — Anthony Gangi
9. A sergeant at my first institution told me that the only way to survive in corrections was to get to be very good at it. He said that if I became exceptionally proficient at it I would enjoy it and if I enjoyed it the negative aspects would never seem to be a problem. — Russ Hamilton
10. Pay attention to your surroundings and what’s going on because things can happen so damn fast. Also, don’t let them see you sweat and don’t act all cocky because you’re asking for trouble. — Robert Snavely
11. Be honest with the inmates. — Virgil Starkey
12. I always tell my trainees, you can’t get into trouble for shutting doors on a wing. — Robert N Renee Taylor
13. Kid, if you ever become effective and competent in this business, it’ll make a liar out of you. Find a way to tell the truth. — Wayne Sanderson
14. Never say anything at work (to an inmate or co-worker) you wouldn’t say in front of your shift lieutenant. — Charlotte Headley
15. Show yourself friendly but DO NOT be their friend! — Kat Williams
16. Be firm, fair, and consistent EVERYDAY. Run your unit, don’t let it run you. — John Burn
17. Don’t bring the job home and don’t bring home to the job. — Andy Mancusi
18. Cover your ass! — Krista Jenkins
19. Take your time when writing a report. You never know who is going to be reading it. And leave your opinions (why) out of it. — Gary York
Bonus tips from Corrections1 readers
Corrections1 readers have shared these additional tips for corrections career survival.
1. Enforce the rules, write people up. Have integrity! Also, don’t let peers’ bad habits or ways rub off on you. I have seen many Officers come and go!
2. Never bring your worst day to work.
3. You have 2 eyes, 2 ears and 1 mouth. Use them in those proportions and use them consistently to observe and KNOW your world behind the walls.
4. When you come to work and can only give 80 percent, bring 100 percent of that 80 percent to work.
5. The only thing you can control 100% of the time is yourself. If you get visibly angry it is because you gave someone else control over your emotions. Don’t give away control.
6. “Correction Officer’s Guide to Understanding Inmates: The 44 Keys to Power, Control, and Respect” by Larone Koonce is a valuable book for any new CO to read. Even more important than “Games Criminals Play.”
This article has good advice and the Larone Koonce book expands upon it by showing examples of what these things look like in the correctional world. The only odd thing I would add is this: sometimes inmates will give you advice because even they (some of them) want you to be a decent corrections officer. “Don’t let that badge go to your head.”
It took me a while, but I understood when I saw how the behavior of some of my coworkers progressed from decent CO to insufferable petty tyrant. And one of my first times in the Kitchen (a 2-person post but short-staffed), I was overwhelmed by the amount of work I had to do by myself. An inmate (an older man in his late 50s) said, “Sometimes we have to step up to the situation and work harder than we have before.”
In time, you might find that the 80% who aren’t part of the problem will let you know that they want you to keep the 20% who are THE problem in check and under control. 80% of these inmates just want to do their time and be left alone and they don’t want the gangs running the prison instead of the staff.
7. When talking to inmates keep your distance and always take a defensive stand to avoid a surprise punch. Always look to have your back to the wall.
8. After serving 30 plus years in corrections the best advice is not one simple statement, but a way of life.
- Integrity is all you have and stand behind it! You want others to be honest with you, so don’t get mad when they are.
- Life behind bars is not the same as life outside the bars. Keep the two worlds separated. Don’t take work home and don’t bring home to work.
- Treat others, regardless of their status, as you would want to be treated or have a loved one treated if they were incarcerated.
- Consistency is key. Be today who you expect to be tomorrow.
- Don’t keep changing the script to accommodate someone.
- If you can’t feed 200, don’t feed one. The state provides food for those incarcerated.
- Never step on the toes of someone who’s a$$ you may be kissing one day.
- Never forget where you came from. If you are promoted, remember the reason you applied was to make it better for those who don’t have a voice or are not listened to.
- As a leader, you are only as good as your subordinates. Challenge them to be the best there is in the business. Support them at every opportunity to help them grow.
- Never be afraid to challenge the norm!
- Complacency can cause someone their life!
- Trust your instincts, your gut is not empty, it is a meter for detecting danger.
- Do the right thing, regardless of being watched or not.
- A failure only occurs if you stay down and don’t get back up.
- Learn from your mistakes and take ownership when wrong.
- Never be afraid to ask a question, there are others that rely on you to ask the questions.
- Challenge the norm, norms lead to complacency, complacency leads to being left behind.
Thank the Lord for blessing you each day and the challenges that you will overcome because of his Grace.
9. Listening and observation is a large part of your job. Pay attention to your surroundings.
10. Overall just be a decent human being, that will lead to you being a good corrections officer. Be respectful but yet firm. Say what you do and do what you say.
11. Don’t forget who you were when you started. Your agency hired you because you were a good person. Don’t let the job (or the people) take that from you.
12. Just know, if you live in a state that has unions and collective bargaining agreements, they may not be able to help you with every situation you encounter. You also may live in a state that does not have real union protection. Do not lose hope, there is always something you can do. If you ever encounter an uncomfortable situation at work, and you find yourself needing help, with little to no assistance from administration. There are State and Federal agencies that will help you with almost anything. There is always someone that outranks the people running your facility. Regardless of your admin running it effectively or into the ground.
Share your top CO career survival tip
We want to expand our list of corrections officers’ career success tips. We are especially interested in tips about safety, de-escalation and professional development. We may use your tip in an upcoming C1 article. Thanks!
Never ignore those with experience
As you can see, listed above is advice that can only come from years of experience. Where we are at today in corrections relates strongly to who we were yesterday. Those who have survived this profession have forged a path for future generations to follow. It is through their blood, sweat and tears that we are able to progress. Never ignore those who have walked the walk and earned their stay in this great profession. The lessons they can teach will be far greater than anything you could ever learn in a classroom.
This article, originally published on May 16, 2016, has been updated with additional resources.
