During my career in corrections, I spent many a minute in roll call. Roll call: the name implies that the squad or shift commanders take roll and assign posts to the correctional officers. It usually lasts – officially – for about 20 to 30 minutes, but veteran officers will tell you that many roll calls are shorter than that.
In the early morning roll calls, at 0630 for example, the day shift squad knows that the midnight shift officers are tired and want to go home. In some roll calls, post assignments and reports are read quickly and officers are dismissed to assume their duties.
I am not “knocking” that. Some supervisors conduct roll calls very expeditiously. If necessary information and instructions about safe facility operations are discussed and understood, that’s good.
What I wish to discuss is rethinking the roll call concept in terms of training. There are several things that correctional trainers must keep in mind in order to bring good training into any correctional facility roll call. Training in roll calls should be more than just a hasty discussion of a subject followed by a roster that personnel sign showing that they have received training. To me, that is training in its most minimal, ineffective method.
So, if you are a correctional training officer charged with providing training to the staff and want to make the best use of roll call-please note the following:
First: Always remember that roll call is the one time during a shift when all key personnel are in the same room at the same time: supervisors, post officers, booking officers, control booth personnel, support staff, etc. No pun intended; they are a captive audience.
Second: The security of the institution and the safety of all who live and work there (inmates and staff, respectively) are of primary importance. Information about inmates such as special management inmates, assaultive inmates, mentally ill, escape risks, etc. must be discussed first.
The trainer should always be ready with training, but there will be times that the aforementioned information will take up time, especially if there are questions to be answered.
Also – agency directives and policies are important topics and must be addressed if necessary.
Third: Present subjects in pieces or components: think of “bite size.”
For example, the superintendent sends a directive to all training staff saying that due to a recent inmate suicide or several suicide attempts, all staff attending roll calls and meetings will receive suicide prevention training. Trainers know that suicide prevention training covers a wide area: identification of suicidal signs and symptoms, taking precautions, observation, interacting with suicidal inmates, referrals to qualified mental health staff, etc.
Those subjects, if covered in a 20 to 30 minute roll call, would be a fast “gloss over:” hurriedly discussed, resulting in officers walking out to posts and remembering very little.
Instead, the trainer should discuss the best way to present this subject with supervisors. The supervisors call the roll call to order, get through assignments, reports and agency memos, and give the trainer some time in the roll call. Then the trainer presents the first “bite:” signs and symptoms of suicide. During the next roll call, he or she presents taking precautions; the third roll call discusses observations, etc.
This can also be true for subjects such as gangs and security threat groups, for example. Divide the subject into components: gang identification, gangs in the jail’s jurisdiction, identified gang members currently incarcerated, gang enemies, etc. Not all subjects will have to be divided into components; some can be discussed once.
Fourth: Use training aids such as short videos, handouts, quizzes, and guest speakers. Continuing with suicide as an example, during one part of the training a member of the facility mental health staff can talk about suicidal inmates. Many officers do take training seriously and will appreciate handouts in which material is well presented for future reference. With today’s technology, making a video or Power Point presentation is relatively easy. Ten Power Point slides may be all that is required to discuss an important subject to the staff.
Quizzes can be used in two ways. First, they can be a record of any testing, and second, giving a pre-quiz to see what officers know can be training itself when the answers are revealed. I like using quizzes and find that when you give a thought provoking quiz at the outset of any training session, good discussions can follow in which a trainer can make some points.
Some final thoughts: Some agencies may choose a policy of no roll calls – officers rely on pass on information during post relief. I do respect their choice if this policy works for them, but I respectfully disagree and think that roll calls can be a vital management and training tool.
Trainers can take some of the points mentioned in this blog and apply them to any roll call, staff meeting or training session.
Finally: Keep good records. This can be a challenge, but good training records are vital to meet correctional standards and protect against complaints and litigation.
Reference:
Cornelius, Gary F. (2008). The American Jail: Cornerstone of Modern Corrections. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall.
