by Patricia Coffman

Created on: May 16, 2009

The most effective way to work in juvenile corrections is to remember the five BEs:

1. Be fair

2. Be firm

3. Be consistent

4. Be a good role model

5. Be someone who cares about kids and likes working with them

One thing any experienced juvenile correctional officer will tell you is that some incarcerated kids are very dangerous. There are some of them who can't be fixed, no matter what we do to try to help them, and there is nothing any of us can do about it. You must realize this going into the field of juvenile corrections there is no way you can help all of them, but you can help most of them. You never know for certain which ones will change, so it is imperative to give them all the same opportunity to do so.

Being fair is the most important thing you can do for these kids. If you want them to look up to you and respect you, fairness is absolutely essential. In choosing to help one of them in some way, no matter how large or small, you must be willing and able to do the same thing for every single one of them. There is no room for favoritism in juvenile corrections. You will not be respected and you will not be an effective leaderperiod. The last thing you want in this job is disrespect. Disrespect equals a short career in juvenile corrections. It happens all too often.

Being firm and consistent are two other matters of extreme importance. You must say exactly what you mean and mean exactly what you say. If there are consequences for rule violations, and you don't issue them every time they are broken, the precedence for future rule violations will soon be set. The expectation will be for you to let the next broken rule slide, and before you know it, no one will take you seriously. Trust me; if you give these kids an inch, they will take TWO milesevery time. First of all, make sure you know what the rules are and the consequences for breaking them; then make sure the kids know them too. After that, your success as a juvenile correctional officer will be directly proportionate to how firm and consistent you are at enforcing the rules. These kids won't know how much you care until you care enough to set boundaries for them. Many of them never had boundaries and that is why they are locked up. We can't help them learn to live in society if we don't teach them that there are consequences for bad choices. It is the most important thing we can teach them.

Being a good role model goes without saying. You can't expect to get a positive result when you are a negative influence. Don't whine about your personal life if front of them. Don't complain about how hard your job is, or how much greener the grass is on some other side of life. Being positive is the best way to get positive behavior in return, so keeping your own attitude in check is important if you expect the same from them.

Above all else, do not, I repeat do not get into juvenile corrections if you don't like or see any worth in troubled kids between the ages of 10 and 18. If your main goal is to become a controlling, authoritative figure, then this is definitely not the job for you. The kids will be the first to know if you don't like or care about them, and they are gifted at coming up with ways to make your time on the job miserable. They are very good at it, so whatever you do, don't go into this job for self-fulfilling reasons. You won't be happy, and you'll be doing a great disservice to the kids. The business of juvenile corrections is not for everyone, but those who know how to do their jobs well can look forward to a long and rewarding career.

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