Correctional Nurse . Net

ACA session told boundaries allow COs to screen input from the world and know what input to ward against

Mark Fleming, Ph.D., Director of Behavioral Health, Correctional Medical Services told session attendees at the American Correctional Association’s (ACA) conference in Kissimmee, Fla., how important it is to understand the psychological components of why employees cross professional boundaries, and how to screen potential officers to make sure they possess the skill set to keep inmates at a professional distance.

“It is part of our job to decide how our employees are and whether or not they are a good fit for corrections,” he said. “We don’t want to set people up to fail. We want to make sure we’re putting the right person in the right position.”

Boundaries allow us to screen input from the world, to know what input to let in, and what input to protect ourselves against, Fleming said.

The need for setting boundaries is especially important in a corrections setting because of the innate power imbalance. Not only is there a power imbalance between employees and staff, but there is also a power hierarchy among inmates, and of course, between any correctional staff member and the inmate.

“You have power and authority over offenders,” Fleming said. “When you choose not to own your power, that’s when boundaries get crossed and problems occur.”

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