30 Nov Read the attached Journal article from Corrections Today, in 4-5 paragraphs provide an opinion on the article and explain your views Arguments for a Diverse Workforce.docx Actions? 2069

Arguments for a Diverse Workforce

NCJ Number

206967

Journal

Corrections Today Magazine Volume: 66 Issue: 5 Dated: August 2004 Pages: 72-75

Author(s)

Ana T. Aguirre

Date Published

August 2004

Annotation

This article presents arguments for the diversification of the corrections workforce and offers examples of culturally sensitive approaches used by corrections professionals.

Abstract

The United States is becoming increasingly diverse; predictions of changes in the United States population by 2050 indicate increased growth of the Hispanic community, underscoring the need for cultural diversity within the corrections system. The author applies a corporate-model analysis to the corrections industry and argues that criminal and juvenile justice “consumers” fall into the three categories of direct, indirect, and immediate consumers. Direct consumers are the inmates and other offenders supervised by correctional or community supervision agencies. Indirect consumers are the community members where correctional facilities are housed, while immediate consumers are described as the correctional workforce. A lack of cultural sensitivity to any of these consumer groups results in the “loss” of the consumer, from a corporate model standpoint. Several issues are outlined that should be considered in terms of promoting a culturally sensitive and diverse correctional staff; these include community relations considerations, sensitivity toward victims, and correctional officer safety. Recruiting and retaining a culturally diverse staff would cut down on the need for oversight committees and interpreters. Having a workforce that understands the dominant languages spoken in the United States also enhances officer and inmate safety and reduces barriers to effective community supervision. Assessment tools used for the evaluation of inmate needs should also be “normed” for diverse populations. Useful approaches to the development of workforce diversity are described, including local approaches to managing Native American youth, staff recruiting efforts in Kentucky, and workforce development initiatives by professional criminal justice organizations.