AJA Spotlight on Solutions: Leadership Lessons: Planning a New Facility in Jackson County
“In the realm of corrections, discussions surrounding officer wellness typically center around the front-line deputies who face daily challenges maintaining the care, custody, and control of the incarcerated population. However, the wellness of supervisors within correctional facilities often receives less attention despite their significant role and the unique stressors they encounter. Supervisors are tasked with overseeing operations, supporting their teams, taking on the additional liability that comes with becoming a supervisor, all while navigating their own stressors. Understanding these challenges and exploring proactive wellness strategies can improve the overall health and effectiveness of corrections staff.
While the process of designing, building, and occupying a new jail facility takes place every day in counties across the nation, most correctional leaders will only encounter the experience once in our career, if ever at all. I truly believe a major project like this should be embraced as rare and unique opportunities to incorporate our leadership philosophies regarding justice services while also leaving a lasting monument that will:
• Transform our local communities
• Create safer working conditions for staff
• Improve living conditions and outcomes for the justice involved
• Provide improved opportunities for successful reintegration into the community
• Address medical and mental health needs
• Eliminate overcrowding
As correctional leaders, we tend to refrain from making bold statements like, “make the world a better place,” and “affect positive change in our communities.” But planning a detention facility that will touch tens of thousands of people annually involved in the local criminal justice system can do just that, if done correctly while paying close attention to important details that will impact the community for many years to come. Our facilities and how they are managed directly affect many people aside from the criminally justice involved such as their families, the staff that work in the facility, and the community either for good or bad. The appropriate planning and preparation for a new jail facility can be a daunting task, especially while performing our already difficult job of managing the current facility.”
Read more: AJA Spotlight on Solutions: Leadership Lessons: Planning a New Facility in Jackson County