Friday, December 01, 2006
UNIFORM & NON-UNIFORM STAFF
Anonymous request & comments from a NON-UNIFORM STAFF member:
Please address the topic of relationships between uniformed and non-uniformed staff (or, as we are so degradingly called, “non-essential” staff). Every time I hear that term I bristle. I would like to see any of our facilities try to function without the “non-essential” staff! Can’t we think up a more positive term? Non-uniformed staff go through most of the same training that uniformed staff does, and we are no less correctional professionals. Yet I have often picked up an attitude of condescension, or even suspicion or mistrust, from some uniformed staff toward the non-uniformed staff. We are all supposed to be a team, working in a challenging environment. It would help if we all respected each other as fellow professionals. We all play our essential part in carrying out the mission of corrections. Please consider addressing how our relationships might be improved.
Please address the topic of relationships between uniformed and non-uniformed staff (or, as we are so degradingly called, “non-essential” staff). Every time I hear that term I bristle. I would like to see any of our facilities try to function without the “non-essential” staff! Can’t we think up a more positive term? Non-uniformed staff go through most of the same training that uniformed staff does, and we are no less correctional professionals. Yet I have often picked up an attitude of condescension, or even suspicion or mistrust, from some uniformed staff toward the non-uniformed staff. We are all supposed to be a team, working in a challenging environment. It would help if we all respected each other as fellow professionals. We all play our essential part in carrying out the mission of corrections. Please consider addressing how our relationships might be improved.
