The Forgotten Cop

What would the average citizen say if it were proposed that Police Officers be assigned to a neighborhood which was inhabited by no one but criminals and those Officers would be unarmed, patrol on foot and be heavily out numbered? I wager that the overwhelming public response would be that the Officers would have to be crazy to accept such an assignment. However as you read this, such a scenario is being played out in all areas of the country.

We are Correctional Officers. Not Guards (who are people that watch school crossings). We work at minimum, medium, and maximum security Correctional Facilities. We are empowered by the State to enforce its Penal Laws, rules, and regulations of the Department of Correctional Services. In short we are Policemen. Our beat is totally inhabited by convicted felons who, by definition, are people who tend to break laws, rules, and regulations. We are out numbered by as many as 50 to 1 at various times of our work day and contrary to popular belief, we work without a side arm. In short, our necks are on the line every minute of every day.

A Correctional Facility is a very misunderstood environment. The average person has very little knowledge of it’s workings. Society sends it’s criminals to Correctional Facilities and as time passes, each criminals crime fades from our memory until the collective prison population becomes hordes of bad people being warehoused away from decent society in a place where they can cause no further harm. There is also the notion that prison inmates cease to be a problem when the are incarcerated.

Correctional Facilities are full of violence perpetrated by the prison population against the prison population and facility staff. Felonies are committed daily but are rarely reported. They are called “unusual incidents” and rarely result in criminal prosecution. Discipline is handled internally and, as a rule, the public is rarely informed of these crimes. In the course of maintaining order in these facilities, many Officers have endured the humiliation of having urine and feces thrown at them. Uncounted Correctional Officers have been kicked, bitten, stabbed and slashed with home made weapons, taken hostage, murdered and even raped in the line of duty, all while being legally mandated to maintain their Professional Composure and refraining from any retaliation which could be the basis for dismissal from service.

In addition to these obvious dangers,Correctional Officers face hidden dangers in the form of AIDS, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B and C. Courts are now imposing longer sentences and the prison population is increasing far beyond the systems designated capacity. As the public demands more police on the street, governments everywhere are cutting police in prison where violence reigns supreme, jeopardizing all those working behind prison walls.

Although you will never see us on “911” or “Top Cops” we are Law Enforcement Professionals. We are the “FORGOTTEN COP,” hidden from public view, doing a dangerous beat, hoping someday to receive the respect and approval from the public who “WE SILENTLY SERVE.”

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Donald E. Premo, Jr.
New York State Corrections Officer

HOW A HUMAN SERVICES PROGRAM INTERACTS WITH CRIMINAL JUSTICE DEGREE PROGRAMS 

Due to the glorification of criminal justice careers in television and in books, many students wish to enter this field under false pretenses. While working within the criminal justice system offers a unique opportunity to make a real difference in the community and the nation, there are several critical elements that must be discussed and understood. Perhaps the most important of these elements is how human services programs play a role in the successful completion of an online criminal justice degree program. While the level of involvement is based upon the educational institution, as well as the level of the degree a student wishes to achieve, elements of human services may be found in every criminal justice degree program.

THE GOAL OF HUMAN SERVICES WITH CRIMINAL JUSTICE DEGREE PROGRAMS

The primary goal of a human services program is to prepare students for the dynamic and challenging environment seen within the criminal justice system. As a professional in this field, you’ll be faced with some of the best and worst cases of human behavior. While other areas of study help to prepare you for these interactions, without a well-designed human services education, many professionals aren’t able to handle the various elements required on this topic.

ELEMENTS OF THE PROGRAM

While the exact elements of a human services degree program can dramatically vary, the primary goal of this program typically involves several core topics. These topics include:

Crisis Intervention – This element of human services is especially vital to those entering law enforcement, corrections or criminal psychology. Within these career fields, students must master the ability to divert a crisis in order to save lives or physical integrity of offenders.
Interviewing Techniques – Regardless of the career path of a student, interviewing techniques is an essential element of human services. Whether you plan on entering the workforce in a management-level position or simply working with the community in an entry-level position, interviewing techniques teaches students how to identify key factors within a conversation to gain a better understanding of the person’s state of mind and intentions.
Addictive Behaviors – This element of a criminal justice degree program is specifically imperative for those working in a correctional facility or with the general public as an officer of the law. To truly understand how to deal with addicts, one must be fully aware of how mental outlooks affect physical behavior. Without such an understanding, it’s nearly impossible to appropriately handle conversations with those with substance abuse issues.
Professional Issues – Regardless of where you work, there will be times when an issue arises between professionals. This element of a human services program is especially important for those in the criminal justice system, as the professional issues could potentially affect the level of care and justice an offender receives. In many criminal justice degree programs, this topic will be covered in-detail.

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THE CONNECTION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE DEGREES 

Regardless of the career a criminal justice major wishes to enter, there is a direct connection between psychological sciences and their work within the criminal justice system. In fact, many career’s operate directly underneath the realm of psychology. For example, law enforcement officers must understand human behavior and psychology in order to make a sound decision regarding the offenders threat to himself and to the officers. Even those seeking a career within the court system will utilize psychological sciences throughout their daily duties. Therefore, it’s imperative criminal justice degree students understand the role of psychology and how it alters their daily professional life.

PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES WITHIN A CRIMINAL JUSTICE DEGREES

While the level of psychological coursework within a criminal justice degree program will vary, all programs (ranging from an associate’s degree to a master’s degree) will utilize some level of psychological studies within the program. The most common courses offered, as well as coursework you should ensure you take, include:

  • General Psychology – This entry-level coursework explores the various concepts and theories regarding psychological function and how it translates into behavior. Regardless of your career goals, this is an essential area of study.
  • Human Growth and Development – In order to understand the erratic behavior of offenders, or to simply understand why people are they way they are, you must delve into how the growth and development of the human mind alters behavior. Throughout this course offering, students explore the various concepts and theories related to human growth and development and how this cultivation of behavior affects the likelihood of offender rehabilitation.
  • Adolescent Psychology – Those wishing to enter the field of juvenile justice must take this psychology course. Throughout its topics, students uncover the various elements responsible for behavior and actions within a growing mind. Even those wishing to work in adult correctional facilities should take this course offering. By understanding the role external and internal influences have on adolescent growth and behavior helps deepen the understanding of adult actions.
  • Social Psychology – The role society plays in the cultivation and development of individuals is paramount for any professional entering the criminal justice system. Throughout this course, students delve into the theories revolving around society and cultures and how specific external influences, shapes the growth and behavior of children and adults.
  • Cognitive Development – Regardless of the field a criminal justice major wishes to enter, the influences of cognitive development will make a heavy impression. This advanced-level topic discusses how the cognitive, or mental function, of humans is developed as well as what influences this development. In order to provide true human services to a community, criminal justice system professionals must understand how behavior and actions are cultivated. This, and other, topics are covered within this coursework.

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Web Site Devoted to Fallen Correctional Officers

Arizona’s fallen correctional officers are among hundreds listed in the “CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS MEMORIAL WALL,” a web site created by a New York State Officer to honor correctional officers and employees from all the state killed in the line of duty.

Officer Jim Holtz has worked at the Attica Correctional Facility for most of his six years as a correctional officer. He began his Internet web site, www.correctionofficersmemorialwall.com/index.html, four years ago because of his dismay over the fact that fallen officers and other employees were not getting the recognition he felt that they deserved.

“It is important that people become aware of how dangerous the correctional line of work can be,” Holtz said.

“I spend a lot of time doing research,” he said, “because this in a one-man operation.” Officer Holtz maintains the web site on his own and in his spare time. “I have spent entire vacations working on this site.”

He said he has to depend on other agencies and individuals to contact him when someone dies. “I search the world wide web and check news casts on a daily basis, but I just don’t have the time to look everywhere,” he said.

Officer Holtz stated that he doesn’t keep up the wall for himself. “I hope that by getting the information out about how many of us (correctional employees) have died, it will help stop the negative image that we sometimes carry from other law enforcement.”

One of the main motivations that Holtz said drove him to start the site was that the four correctional employees who died in the 1971 riot at Attica Correctional Facility have not been acknowledged by most memorials. There were seven correctional officers and four other employees who died in the four day New York disturbance that rocked the correctional industry.

To provide Officer Jim Holtz information for his web site he can be e-mailed at nysco1040@aol.com