The result is that employees at all levels for their own protection as well as to create a system of mutial support among leaders and subordinates have begun to demand collaborative rights of communication and input on job design, and leadership practices. Empowerment of employees has long been shown to be a positive aspect of individual employee motivation as well as the desire to be a part of a team that works together to provide holistic knowledge of community problems and concerns and therefore contributes to solutions. (Sims, 2002, p. 18) being a member of the team that proposed a solution or the individual who had a good idea that will potentially solve a problem is empowering and motivational and will likely increase retention and decrease problematic communication, such as collusion, a phenomena that occurs when individuals do not feel that the top down system is effective in resolving problems that are dealt with from the bottom up.
As has been said previously, every step that an individual takes, in the corrections field is under the potential scrutiny of a great many individuals, some of whom have the power to fire or even prosecute an employee for inappropriate behavior. The corrections, industry, must then be hyper vigilant individually and as teams to make sure that procedures are followed and that employment and actions all meet the federal requirements and regulations, as well as the regulations already in place at the local level.
How successfully an organization manages its human resources depends to a large extent on its ability to deal effectively with government regulations. Operating within the legal framework requires keeping track of the external legal and social environments and developing internal systems (for example, supervisory training and grievance procedures) to ensure compliance and minimize complaints. (Sims, 2002, p. 18)
The development of human resource systems that answer to the needs of police officers, corrections officers, their supervisors and the support staff that assists them in carrying out their duties is essential to being able to function through the transition...
Open communication between leaders and subordinates creates a system of collaboration that can greatly improve the chances that employee needs are met and that supervisors are aware of employee actions, inside and outside of exceptions that occur in the parole and probation agencies, as support staff of the justice system. (Stanley, 1976, p. 87) Human resource management, has been a utilized tool in these agencies for some time, and as scrutiny, by the public and other law enforcement agencies, as well as a growing demand for interagency collaboration becomes the standard of the day there is an even greater need for systems that mirror one another and allow collaboration in a way that is productive and demonstrative of supervision of parolees.
Each different agency among those that make up corrections, has a greater need and demand for collaboration, team leadership practices and employee understanding of job design and expectations. Each team must then work together to openly communicate needs and concerns, with regard to management of inmates, criminals and alleged criminals, within the system. Human resource principles will likely be one of the strongest tools of change in corrections, and will likely make up a larger pool of education with regard to training new and old members of the teams to improve communication, motivation, job design and leadership roles.
References
Coyle, a., Campbell, a., & Neufeld, R. (Eds.). (2003). Capitalist Punishment: Prison Privatization & Human Rights. Atlanta: Clarity Press.
Gottfredson, S.D. & McConville, S. (Eds.). (1987). America's Correctional Crisis: Prison Populations and Public Policy. New York: Greenwood Press.
Sims, R.R. (2002). Organizational Success through Effective Human Resources Management. Westport, CT: Quorum Books.
Stanley, D.T. (1976). The Problem of Parole. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution.
