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Wrap up: Why communication is the most important tool in your tool box

When choosing between writing an inmate up for an infraction or merely warning them, weigh the pros and cons before applying the correct tool for the job

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AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

By Anthony Gangi, C1 Columnist

The scenario from last week highlighted a conflicted between communication and disciplinary reports. From the many responses given, we can clearly see that communication is key. Correctional officers with experience will tell you that most situations can be resolved through good, honest communication. Obviously, there are certain violations that must be reported, but there are also some that may simply require communication.

“Communication is the key to success in every relationship. I have been a CO for a year now and I have written only one violation. I deal with each and every case in a manner that best serves that case, Supplyssg wrote. “Sometimes it’s as simple as taking them aside and talking to them. The one time that I wrote a violation, the offender knew she had messed up. I know some of the offenders that witnessed my actions also knew that I meant business. I have found that dealing with each case individually, instead of just writing violation for everything, builds a rapport with the offenders and makes it easier to handle them.”

The statement above exemplifies how powerful a tool communication can be. Maintaining order through communication is a great way to establish stability in your unit. By communicating, inmates begin to understand what it is that you expect from them. By communicating, the officer in the unit is establishing a rapport with the inmate population and they have maintained their sense of control.

A fine line
As long as the violation is addressed, order is maintained. Some violations may require a verbal counsel and others may have to go a little bit further (disciplinary charge).

“All rule violations need to be addressed whether you clear the violation by writing a disciplinary report, or you clear the violation by talking with them,” Cfisher6 wrote, “This also depends on the violation; you can’t let a serious violation go with a verbal. Also, every rule violation needs to be addressed, otherwise you start losing control of your unit and then the facility.

However, this is a fine line. If you clear all violations by talking, inmates will see you as someone who is either lazy (not wanting to cut paper) or someone who is scared to hold inmates accountable and truly discipline them for something they know is wrong. When you warn someone, it needs to be documented somewhere so the same inmate isn’t continually being warned for the same violation, plus this allows for proof of a prior warning if the inmate continues to violate minor rules thus making your report that much more solid and no room for argument by the inmate at disciplinary hearing.”

Either by communicating or by writing, the violation must get addressed. There’s a thin line here when it comes to how the inmates view the officer’s choice: No write up can be seen by the inmates as being lazy. As a counter to this perspective, all warnings should be documenting so there is proof that the violation was addressed. This can also help the officer if they decide to write up the inmate after repeated failure to comply with order given. Here, a combination of communication and documentation has proven to be invaluable.

Upping the ante
“I’m also with Ofc. DeCarlo,” Tower4guy writes. “You can always up the ante but it’s hard to do that if you start out at the top right away. I mean, certain violations are an automatic write-up while others … Meh, we’re supposed to work smarter, not harder … right? If I could get the job done without putting paper on someone then it made my day easier. You can always come back and get the pen out if the inmate doesn’t take the hint/”

The statement above highlights the power of progressive discipline. This is an essential tool that maintains order and control. First is the warning, and then, if the warning fails, progressive action is taken. This is seen as being fair because the inmate was given a warning prior. Once they have failed to comply, written disciplinary now becomes the only option. In this case, the inmate pretty much wrote the write-up themselves.

Again, these scenarios are meant to teach those in the field of the complexities in relationship to dealing with human behavior. Not all answers are black and white, but if we can justify our choice in a manner that suggests professionalism, then we are on the right track. This scenario highlights the power of communication. Write-ups are not always a necessity and, sometimes, communication can get the job done just as good, or even better.

We need to trust in our instincts and get a feel for the job and the people you are handling. Through experience, you can decide if communication can best fit or if this incident requires a more serious disciplinary action. I believe communication maintains a great sense of control and it’s through communication that you work as a correctional officer shines through. Trust in yourself, and trust in your ability to use your best tool given to you.

These training scenarios are intended to draw the reader into the discussion and create a repository of differing viewpoints on a single subject. These scenarios are intended for training purposes only. Though the scenarios are drawn from real-world incidents, no one scenario talks about a specific person or place. If you have questions or ideas for a training scenario, email editor@corrections1.com.

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