Correctional management is helpful in the comprehension of ethics, criminal laws, legal punishment and rehabilitation in correctional facilities. Notably, a correctional manager or officer is an educated individual who is well-trained and integral in the law enforcement society. Most of the correctional managers are within prisons and jails at the local government or the federal level of the state (Silverman & Vega, 2001). Some of the duties they do is supervising and transporting prisoners as they help enforce inspection and discipline periodically within the facilities. They often have excess workloads and at times face dangerous and stressful duties. Some of the current issues the correctional management faces range from coping up with the gang violence and disturbing gangs within correctional facilities to contraband and illegal drugs peddled in such settings. Moreover, there are issues of transgender and gender relations amongst the prisoners and mental issues of persons within the given correctional population.
Firstly, correctional managers face the wrath of gangs who have always been a threat to fellow inmates. The correctional managers have indifferent poses to have protection of themselves from threats. Moreover, prisoners are too unstable and violent for correctional officers to relinquish safely based on garrison mentality. This makes most officers to mind about their survival (Fleisher & Decker, 2001). Correctional officers, hence, become overly sensitive and skittish pertaining dangers in their workplace. A notable situation is that, if inmates and correctional officers are to be relatable, then the officers should prompt an initiative to helping activities that are legitimate. These duties help in the minimization of stressful characteristics of prison environment and therefore, the inmates must be supported with problems as what constitutes their duties.
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Secondly, there are rising issues of contraband and illegal drugs within correctional environment. The prevalence of sexual abuse, physical abuse and foster care are the highest for the inmates who share and inject drugs. Many inmates are exposed to synthetic drugs. The alarming rate of smuggling illegal substances have made the inmates exhibit uncontrollable behaviors after ingestion. The issues arise from the communities with the similar problems of synthetic drugs. The impacts of the illegal drugs range from delusions, nausea, anxiety, paranoia and violent outbursts. The correctional managers face issues of dealing with the inmates as they often harbor suicidal thoughts. Nonetheless, the correctional managers have the duties of ensuring that the inmates have to turn their lives around under all circumstances. The correctional managers are often unable to control the illegal drugs finding ways into the prisons. The impact of the illegal drugs in the bodies of inmates make it hard for the correctional managers to help sober their state.
Moreover, there are issues related with gender and transgender. Correctional managers have to know how to deal with transgenders. These people face both mental and social health matters that range from depression, violence, discrimination and thoughts of suicide. Transgender people face violence forms like verbal, physical or sexual abuse from the way they express outwardly their gender. Correctional managers have to deal with the unique challenges of transgender individuals as they are prone to life-threatening states. It is very important for the correctional staff to know their challenges clearly. Because of the transgender individuals’ identity, they encounter transphobia and homophobia experiences. Hence, correctional staff need to be well-informed about their states.
Nonetheless, there are issues on the mental and medical health of inmates within the correctional settings. The correctional managers face issues from the mentally-ill prisoners who possess personality disorders. The mentally challenged are reckless, possess social awkwardness, have dependent behaviors and attitudes. The correctional managers find it very rough when dealing with such persons who exhibit tumultuous relationships with others. Notably, they are also prone to substance abuse, hence, correctional officers have to be strict. They have to promptly act to the needs of the mentally ill in either the dormitories or cells. In addition, there are inmates who demand equal treatment on security concerns but they may do it for dangerous reasons. The medically ill and mentally challenged alike often may harm themselves and cause violence (Fleisher & Decker, 2008). They use broken pieces, sharp edges, knitting needles and sometimes pieces of materials from plastic to do self-harm. Correctional managers are concerned about punishing them because they may manipulate the rules and the prison system. Hence, the whole fraternity of the correctional management need to check on the chains that ripple down to behaviors based on self-harm or which may harm others.
References
Adams, K., & Ferrandino, J. (2008). Managing mentally ill inmates in prisons. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 35(8), 913-927.
Fleisher, M. S., & Decker, S. H. (2001). An overview of the challenge of prison gangs. Corrections Management Quarterly, 5, 1-9.
Silverman, I. J., & Vega, M. (2001). Corrections: A comprehensive view. Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
