The Daily Cluster

The Crucial First Two Minutes - article image - correctional officer article
The Crucial First Two Minutes
The food tray was too large to fit through the tray port, so I had to open the cell door and hand it to the inmate ... That was the... Read more...
Shaking the Cultural Stigma - article image - correctional officer article
Shaking the Cultural Stigma
On the cultural stigma around correctional officers, what television gets wrong, and what the public rarely sees about the work. Read more...
Shift Work and Sleep Hygiene - article image - correctional officer article
Shift Work and Sleep Hygiene
Sleep is not a luxury. In corrections, it’s a matter of safety.  Read more...
Christa Pike’s Failed Execution: What Happened—and What Corrections Needs Answered - article image - correctional officer ...
Christa Pike’s Failed Execution: What Happened—and What Corrections Needs Answered
What happened when Tennessee's execution of Christa Pike failed, and what corrections needs answered about preparation, medical concerns, and accountability. Read more...
Decompressing After Shift: Practical Steps - article image - correctional officer article
Decompressing After Shift: Practical Steps
You don’t wait for an engine to seize before checking the oil. Don’t treat your mental health with less consideration than a government transport van.  Read more...
The Power of Firm, Fair, and Consistent - article image - correctional officer article
The Power of Firm, Fair, and Consistent
Predictability may be boring, but it's extremely valuable inside a correctional institution.  Read more...
Survival Guide for the FTO Phase - article image - correctional officer article
Survival Guide for the FTO Phase
A survival guide for the FTO phase, where you learn how the institution really operates while forty inmates yell your name and the radio never stops. Read more...
What to Expect On Spray Day - article image - correctional officer article
What to Expect On Spray Day
Every academy runs their spray day differently. But it's nothing to be scared of. Read more...
Things I Don't Say On the Radio... But Wish I Could - article image - correctional officer article
Things I Don't Say On the Radio... But Wish I Could
Here are five pointers you can use to make sure the right door gets called and help is on the way when you need it. Read more...
Correctional officer maintaining awareness while conducting rounds in a two-tier housing unit.
How to Avoid Complacency In Corrections
One moment of inattentiveness can be just the opportunity a malicious inmate — or group of them needs to get the upper hand. Don’t let yourself get hurt getting comfortable... Read more...
Believe Them: Suicide in Corrections - article image - correctional officer article
Believe Them: Suicide in Corrections
There’s this retarded assumption that people who talk about suicide are only seeking attention. But crisis lines exist because people often do reach out before they act, and timely intervention... Read more...
The Importance of “No” In Corrections - article image - correctional officer article
The Importance of “No” In Corrections
The word "no" is powerful. But in order for it to mean something, an officer needs to be able to say "no" and mean it.  Read more...
Correctional officer carrying coffee and walking toward daylight at the end of a difficult shift.
Staying Positive In a Negative Environment
Some battles are too heavy to carry alone. If you’re in emotional distress or thinking about suicide, call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org to chat with a trained crisis... Read more...
What to Expect at the Florida Correctional Officer Academy: A Guide for Recruits - article image - correctional officer ar...
What to Expect at the Florida Correctional Officer Academy: A Guide for Recruits
“You can’t believe everything you read and hear about corrections,” the instructor said, “but you can believe that one.” Read more...
The Art of Eating Lunch in 3 Minutes - article image - correctional officer article
The Art of Eating Lunch in 3 Minutes
Three tips for eating lunch in three minutes on the compound, from quick meals to eating neatly when a 10-24 could drop at any second. Read more...
Five Things I Wish I Had Known Before My First Day In Corrections - article image - correctional officer article
Five Things I Wish I Had Known Before My First Day In Corrections
Five things I wish I had known before my first day in corrections, from boots and coworkers to inmates testing you and why 'no' is a complete sentence. Read more...