A recent Department of Justice program finds communication, caring, and compassion the key to addressing cultural needs within Corrections.
The ongoing mission of the Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Visiting Fellows Program is to support correctional agencies by developing and transforming jail and prison environments, provide cross-developmental opportunities for staff, practitioners, and researchers, according to the DOJ – Office of Justice Programs.
“The way the prisons and jails are designed, the way the policies are enforced, creates a situation where they [staff and residents] often feel disrespected, put upon, definitely harmed,” said Dr. Danielle Rudes, Ph.D. in a Podcast called Justice Today. She went on to say her fellowship focuses on enhancing spaces and cultures within correctional facilities.
Rudes discovered that staff requested more appreciation and communication from the leadership. When she interviewed staff, most complained about the lack of coverage for people who work back-to-back shifts. When these stories go unchecked, Rudes says they become a staff’s perceived reality because of the lack of communication with management, the article said.
Despite difficulties surrounding the conducting of her research during the COVID-19 pandemic, Rudes discovered a possible source to assist in the transformation of this negatively-charged environment.
“It was fascinating how much the staff wanted to be helpful to each other and the residents – and something that most people probably don’t know, the residents want to be helpful to the staff, and they want to be helpful to each other,” said Rudes.
