Iowa COs Get Stress Relief
The U.S. Department of Justice has awarded a $100,000 grant to Iowa Council 61 and the state's Department of Corrections to develop a pilot program to help corrections workers and their families deal with the stress of working in prisons. Both the Mount Pleasant Correctional Facility and the state penitentiary in Fort Madison are field testing the program.
The labor/management accord has created training courses — for staff and supervisors — aimed at helping employees with anger management, conflict resolution and communication. In addition, managers will learn how to recognize burnout and other problems that generate stress.
"One of the things that I like about this program is that it's not just for staff. It's also open on a voluntary basis to family members," says Darrell Gray, Local 2995 president and a CO at Mount Pleasant. He points out that only corrections workers can seek help with such problems through the employee assistance program.
Both institutions kicked off their courses with an open house for families. Visitors were allowed to roam through the inmates' living quarters, the gym, kitchen and other sections of the prisons. John Kemper, Local 2989 president and a CO in the penitentiary, says the tours gave spouses and others an idea of what employees confront on a daily basis. "Some still thought that inmates wear striped uniforms and a ball and chain around their ankles."
More importantly, Kemper notes, "When you go home and talk about your job, your family can understand at least part of it."
Gray and Kemper concur that the leading cause of CO stress is poor management. Chief among the problems: miscommunication and administrators who aren't aware of policies. The Justice Department grant may be a major step toward improving relationships. "Management has been very supportive — been with us side by side securing this grant," says Kemper. "That's essential if the program is to work."
He sees no downside to the effort: "Nothing bad can come of it."
The start date for the grant was last October. It runs for one year, with an option for a second.
