3 Ways to Improve Staff Accountability

Corrections is a fast-paced, high-stress industry where everything can flip upside down at the drop of a hat. If staff are unaware of what their team members are responsible for, tasks can be missed and lead to jeopardizing the safety and security of everyone in the facility. This is why following facility policies and procedures is imperative, as is meticulously documenting what tasks have been completed versus which are still open.

Clear communication between all staff members is important in every work environment, but it’s especially vital in corrections. Holding officers accountable for their assigned duties and ensuring clear communication and documentation doesn’t just mitigate risk but also fosters a culture of trust and reliability. In an industry with such high stakes, officers should be able to rely on their team members to operate efficiently and effectively. Knowing that each team member is executing their assigned duties alleviates the burden of constant micromanagement and instills confidence in the team’s morale.

While all correctional facilities have their own unique policies and operations, they also share common goals of securing a higher compliance percentage, streamlining workflows, and ensuring the safety and security of their facility. However, these goals can only be accomplished by improving staff accountability. This blog covers three ways staff accountability can be refined and strengthened within any corrections facility, no matter how unique.

1.  Sparking a Chain Reaction

The goal of hiring any new staff is to ensure they can grow into their role and successfully fulfill their assigned responsibilities independently. Administrators already have their hands full as it is and the last thing they need on their plates is constantly supervising and micromanaging their subordinates.

To establish a widespread understanding of staff expectations, leaders can start by doing what they were hired to do: lead by example. Accountability starts at the top and shines through exemplary leadership. Fostering a work environment of independence and accountability sets a standard of commitment and a strong work ethic for the rest of the team members to follow. By consistently modeling behaviors and attitudes that are expected from staff, leaders can inspire confidence and motivation in their employees to perform at their highest potential.

For example, if staff watch their management consistently stroll in late, chances are, they will think that’s acceptable. Something as simple as management coming in late sends a subtle but detrimental message to staff that tardiness is tolerable. If you want your staff to show up on time, then you should also be on time, if not early.

Expectations for staff are more effective when their leaders adhere to the same standards. Moreover, effective communication coupled with demonstrative action symbolizes the weight of the expectations set. Leaders who articulate the rationale behind their practices and actively participate in their execution not only underscore the importance but also instill a sense of purpose and ownership in their work.

2. The Influence of Team Culture

An employee who is satisfied with their environment and has a strong connection with their colleagues is more likely to be engaged in their workload. High morale cultivates a sense of commitment and loyalty to the agency. Committed employees are more likely to hold themselves accountable because they care about the success of the team and the organization. Plus, some may even take the initiative and anticipate problems in advance, demonstrating proactive accountability.

Enhanced trust and open communication in a positive work environment also contribute to staff accountability as employees feel trusted and comfortable discussing challenges and seeking feedback. Participative employees are naturally more inclined to take ownership of their responsibilities and deliver quality work. Furthermore, implementing recognition and reward practices tied to performance further encourages employees to focus on their responsibilities.

While correctional staff don’t necessarily expect a pat on the back, acknowledging and incentivizing staff will inspire them to work harder while also fostering a culture of respect. Enhancing workplace morale pays off as it’s an affordable and easy way to optimize staff performance. Administrators can even get creative with how they incentivize staff. The whole idea behind rewarding staff is to encourage and recognize their hard work in securing your facility and keeping everyone safe.

It doesn’t need to be a bank-breaking reward, it can be as fun and unique as what the jail administrator at Izard County in Northern Arkansas did for her staff.

Izard County is a small Level 1 facility in Northern Arkansas. They have always maintained a 98% compliance or higher, often leading the state in compliance each month. Their Jail Administrator, Shelly Davidson, is always looking for ways to reward staff for a ‘job well done.’ She started with the normal pizza party for the shift but needed to get more creative to drive competition between shifts. The GUARDIAN RFID shirts came to mind and then she wanted to add their own flair to the line of shirts. Sherry also gives away twelve hours of PTO per month in which she works the shift for the officer with the highest compliance over the month. She truly is a top-down and lead-from-the-front administrator.

Jeff Jackson

JailOps

With correctional officers having one of the highest rates of non-fatal workplace injuries, it is a very taxing job both mentally and physically. That’s no secret to any of us and further exemplifies why developing an environment of genuine appreciation and recognition is one of the most effective and important ways to boost staff morale and accountability.

3. The First Officer Experience Platform

Staff accountability is limited when solely relying on pen and paper or an unreliable guard tour system. However, leveraging advanced technology to streamline a facility’s workflow makes increasing staff accountability much more attainable.

Utilizing task management systems and business intelligence insights to meet compliance requirements also supports officer accountability by ensuring all responsibilities are met and operations are completed on time. Instead of officers wondering to themselves, “Wait, when was my last check?” and just taking a wild guess, they’re able to quickly pull up the exact time stamp and determine how much time they have remaining before their upcoming check is due.

Technology, such as GUARDIAN RFID’s Command Cloud,  brings clarity to what correctional officers need to know and need to do. It was purposely built to improve the day-to-day operations of staff, thus holding them accountable by enabling efficiency and transparency in their duties.

With its modern integrated applications and services, Command Cloud delivers a common operating picture for staff, resulting in real-time officer accountability and situational awareness (including the ability to deliver 60,000 records in under three seconds). Having dependable tools to maintain constant awareness of facility activities enables staff to stay ahead of the game. These tools were embedded into Command Cloud features including:

• Mobile Command XR: This optimizes cell checks and inmate tracking by extending capabilities to promote a more efficient and effective workflow. Whether it be special status (meal restrictions, keep separates, special compliance, etc) or tracking items given to inmates, Mobile Command XR gives correctional staff all the information they need on each inmate or unit at the palm of their hand. 

• Mission Command: Mission Command works in tandem with Mobile Command XR so that all staff have a common operating picture across the inmate population. This tool uses data-driven insights to identify areas of improvement for your facility, as well as individual and team performance. By pinpointing threats to security, compliance, and legal liability, staff can better manage tasks and determine where they should focus their time. 

• Operational Intelligence (OI): OI takes reporting to the next level by gaining real-time actionable insights to staff performance, inmate management, inmate behaviors, and more. If an officer becomes too routine with their checks, inmates are going to catch on and get away with more. With OI, patterns can be identified and officers can randomize their rounds while staying compliant with time and pattern guidelines.

Streamlining your correctional facility’s workflow and reporting makes officer accountability more accessible to achieve. With technology, staff are never left wondering about their next task, instead, they’re able to quickly pull information while getting recommendations to avoid being too routine.

Having staff you can count on is paramount, especially in an environment like corrections. If management can lead by example, boost morale with performance incentives, or adopt technology, they will quickly see an improvement in their staff’s accountability and morale.