https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cB73nyFHgQA
As correctional officers we are classified as homo-sapiens
and although part of the animal food chain we are by far the wisest and most
intellectual being there is – so it has been said. However, as humans we are not
the fastest or strongest animal on this earth. There are many others that
outmatch us as there are commonalities but yet lesser senses to deal with those
things around you. Hence there is a metaphoric shapeshift that occurs when you
don on the uniform and badge of the correctional officer and those senses are
enhanced tenfold to allow you survival skills and management skills that will
carry you through your tour of duty without much difficulties most of the time.
Senses that enhance your ability to see, feel, hear, smell
or taste things at a higher level and determine toxic from non-toxic elements
to keep you safe and secure within your workplace. Rising to the occasion
called up while on duty or off duty activates beastly attributes that makes us
special. Sharing these attributes gives us an edge and leverage in a well
needed sense as we oppose those that are predatory in nature and have
demonstrated a propensity to harm and kill others.
First let’s explore the senses and put it in perspective – birds can see
better than us and dogs smell better than humans – Sharks can feel magnetic
fields and turtles can sense electricity – bees see ultraviolet radiation and
elephants can sense body deficiencies in their bodies much like we feel being
thirsty. The tortoise can outlive us by hundreds of years and parrots eat only
those things that are not poisonous to them.
So what makes a correctional officer a beastly animal and what
attributes do they have to keep themselves and others safe?
Culture - Correctional officers can shapeshift and adapt and
adjust to different culture norms. They
have a keen ability to sense things that are right and wrong. They are exposed
to all types of behaviors and manage different humanities, religions, attitudes
and behaviors, and other customs and practices world-wide.
Emotion - The beast in officers has to deal with emotions
constantly. They are susceptible to secondary stress factors and trauma by the
things they see, handle and work on while on duty inside the penitentiaries or
jails. Although a beast by definition, they are able to control and maintain
calmness and manage their anger and other self-destructive emotions while doing
their jobs making them extra-ordinary at their jobs. This provides stability
and control at all times during very volatile and dangerous situations.
Communication - Communicating with predators is often
difficult and trying to diffuse tense or hostile situations is a very complex
skill that prison workers exposed to daily. Language is a most important
element of effective interpersonal communication skills and most officers
demonstrate a high proficiency to communicate their prisoners’ needs, actions
and wants. In fact officers have developed their own languages [codes] to cope
with others and in time have evolved using all types of languages not just
verbal but body language and hand signals as well.
Humor - Wicked or twisted sense of humor has often been the
key to coping with stressful situations that have spiraled out of control
quickly and violently. Some humor is for amusement and other types are often
used to reduce the strain or tension at those critical moments in a
correctional officer’s life where they are dealing with a life or death
situation. It has often been an important element building block of opening
critical communications during a hostage situation or similar critical
incidents.
Tools - Correctional officers have boldly demonstrated the
abilities to use various tools and equipment that includes lethal and
non-lethal devices that are used to control and subdue predatory and violent
behaviors. They have been trained to be refined, secure and confident in such
handling of these tools and have successfully passed any proficiency test to
use such devices. Their intelligence ranges from computers to picks and shovels
but their basic staple of the radio, mace, and handcuffs reveal they are indeed
superior in the ability to handle any situation faced with during their tour of
duty. No guns, just guts with no fear of fear itself.
Memory - Exposing a secret of the beast is the fact that
there are individuals that rely on infallible memory to do the job, recognize
hazardous and routine situations and mentally capture their sensory information
at a particular time and place and store it for future use if needed. This
ability to maintain a memory for a prolonged period of time thus makes them the
ultimate human being to remember things. Inept thinking is rare as the courage
to perform motivates this beast to step up and demonstrate heroic and stoic
behaviors.
Self-awareness - Self-Awareness is a definite boosted
attribute or human sensory element that is very important when working in a
most volatile and unpredictable environment. The ability to recognize others
for what they really are gives them insight on potential problems and solutions
used to correct or demonstrate an ability to recognize, diagnose or identify
hostile or non-hostile situations quickly. Awareness is vigilance and the main
tool of the correctional officer is to see and observe anything and everything
within their span of control.
Intelligence - Homo-sapiens are the wise ones. They are
gifted with the ability to think and reason to a great advantage and strategic
benefit. The different kinds of intelligence allow them to use the brain in
many different ways. It can also benefit the officer’s ability to recognize
causal reasoning and mentally deduct how to deal with a new or complicated
problem effectively.
Building - Correctional officers excel in the art of Team Building.
They can farm an idea, cultivate it and cause it to grow and ignite a team
spirit that motivates and energizes others to perform at a higher and more
effective level. This team building concept can be simple numbers of two all
the way to a platoon or shift that acts as one and covers each other’s “six” at
all times giving them maximum protection and strategically designed advantages.
Abstract & Logical thinking - Last but not least this
human beast has the ability to perform abstract and logical thinking which is
often taken for granted. Just so we are clear, abstract thinking is not random
and incoherent thoughts. It is a deliberate process that is most complex to
describe. Logical thinking is the cornerstone of working in a safe and secure
environment. Not only does this process give us the ability to question or
recognize the assertions, ideas and actions of others, it also gives us the
ability to question our own assertions and actions so we can compare them to
our own legal and moral codes of conduct and standards.
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