Administrator Challenge Paper
Administrator Challenges
Ronald E. Reburn
CJA/454
September 22, 2014
John Kotzker
Administrator Challenges
My experience in corrections is limited to only 4 years. I feel that in my time there, I
learned a lot about what the custody part of corrections job consists of, not necessarily what the
parole portion or the prison administration does. As a first line supervisor within the correctional
system, the staff was held to somewhat of the same standards as I did young airmen in the
military. They were expected to be at work on time, read their post orders daily, and maintain
control of the dormitory or segregation unit in which they worked. They were given the
opportunity to make decisions on their own and only to keep me informed of what they were
doing.
Most of the decision making came from the Warden and his staff. We had a Correctional
Major and Captains as intermediate level supervisor who took the brunt of the complaints
between custody and administration. There were policies and directives being disseminated
constantly within the prison. At time it felt like the saying “going blind with paperwork”, having
to read everything being passed down. Some of the policies had justification and some seemed to
be just frivolous fodder to give administration something to do.
Another issue which was the cause of much contention within the custody ranks was the
adherence to the rules or policies. One of the main culprits of many custody staff being fired or
quitting was the use of tobacco within the facilities. The facility is a “tobacco free” facility. That
means no tobacco for any offenders or staff members. Tobacco is an addictive drug and there
were many staff members who snuck cigarettes and smokeless tobacco into the facility because
of their need to have it, instead of waiting until their shift was over. This in-turn was also the
cause of offenders running illegal contraband within the confines of the facility.
Ronald E. Reburn
CJA/454
September 22, 2014
John Kotzker
Administrator Challenges
My experience in corrections is limited to only 4 years. I feel that in my time there, I
learned a lot about what the custody part of corrections job consists of, not necessarily what the
parole portion or the prison administration does. As a first line supervisor within the correctional
system, the staff was held to somewhat of the same standards as I did young airmen in the
military. They were expected to be at work on time, read their post orders daily, and maintain
control of the dormitory or segregation unit in which they worked. They were given the
opportunity to make decisions on their own and only to keep me informed of what they were
doing.
Most of the decision making came from the Warden and his staff. We had a Correctional
Major and Captains as intermediate level supervisor who took the brunt of the complaints
between custody and administration. There were policies and directives being disseminated
constantly within the prison. At time it felt like the saying “going blind with paperwork”, having
to read everything being passed down. Some of the policies had justification and some seemed to
be just frivolous fodder to give administration something to do.
Another issue which was the cause of much contention within the custody ranks was the
adherence to the rules or policies. One of the main culprits of many custody staff being fired or
quitting was the use of tobacco within the facilities. The facility is a “tobacco free” facility. That
means no tobacco for any offenders or staff members. Tobacco is an addictive drug and there
were many staff members who snuck cigarettes and smokeless tobacco into the facility because
of their need to have it, instead of waiting until their shift was over. This in-turn was also the
cause of offenders running illegal contraband within the confines of the facility.