Administrator Challenge Paper

Administrator Challenges
Ronald E. Reburn
CJA/454
September 22, 2014
John Kotzker

Administrator Challenges

My experience in corrections is limited to only 4 years. I feel that in my time there, I

learned a lot about what the custody part of corrections job consists of, not necessarily what the

parole portion or the prison administration does. As a first line supervisor within the correctional

system, the staff was held to somewhat of the same standards as I did young airmen in the

military. They were expected to be at work on time, read their post orders daily, and maintain

control of the dormitory or segregation unit in which they worked. They were given the

opportunity to make decisions on their own and only to keep me informed of what they were

doing.

Most of the decision making came from the Warden and his staff. We had a Correctional

Major and Captains as intermediate level supervisor who took the brunt of the complaints

between custody and administration. There were policies and directives being disseminated

constantly within the prison. At time it felt like the saying “going blind with paperwork”, having

to read everything being passed down. Some of the policies had justification and some seemed to

be just frivolous fodder to give administration something to do.

Another issue which was the cause of much contention within the custody ranks was the

adherence to the rules or policies. One of the main culprits of many custody staff being fired or

quitting was the use of tobacco within the facilities. The facility is a “tobacco free” facility. That

means no tobacco for any offenders or staff members. Tobacco is an addictive drug and there

were many staff members who snuck cigarettes and smokeless tobacco into the facility because

of their need to have it, instead of waiting until their shift was over. This in-turn was also the

cause of offenders running illegal contraband within the confines of the facility.