Honoring All Employees during NCOEW
When we think of correctional employees, we usually think of those dedicated individuals who put on a uniform every day as they prepare for work. They are the most highly visible of all of the CCA staff and shoulder a weight of responsibility, remaining alert to their surroundings and the inmates in their area of supervision. They are responsible for the safety and security of staff, inmates and visitors. They are ready to respond to any incident at a moment's notice, ensuring that the facility remains a safe place.
We sometimes forget those other individuals who work more or less behind the scenes, making sure that other activities in the facility are running without a hitch. Teachers, case managers, food service workers, maintenance workers, medical staff, administrative staff and others—all play an integral role in the operation of the facility.
National Correctional Officers and Employees Week is a time to celebrate the collective efforts of all correctional employees, whether or not they wear a uniform. Everyone who walks through the gates in the morning to start their shift is grateful to be able to walk through the gates again in the evening, after a successful shift.
Sometimes the work that we do is thankless. People in the community do not realize the importance of being a correctional employee and do not understand that we play a key role in law enforcement and that we ARE law enforcement professionals. The inmates in our care do not always appreciate the fact that we are trying to hold them to the rules and hole them accountable for their actions, helping them to be better individuals when they are released back into the community.
Across the nation, during National Correctional Offices and Employees Week, correctional employees will be honored for their dedication to service. I'm proud to be counted among them and proud to serve with my co-workers.