Corrections_Today_Fall_2025_Vol.87_No.3

News&Views

VIEW FROM THE LINE

We have a new teacher in education By Mary Ellen Nourse

B ringing new employees on board at a correctional facility can be an interesting adventure for all concerned. This can be particularly true when a new Teacher/Instructor is hired for the Education Department. Like the adage “... it takes a village to raise a child,” it takes all areas of the prison — Administration, Security, Treat ment staff and current Education staff — to help the new hire enjoy and serve successfully as an edu cator at your facility. This article, which is based on my 21 years in Corrections Education, focuses on ways in which Prison Administra tors and Security staff in particular can assist the new Teacher/Instruc tor to better ensure the new hire has a successful and rewarding experi ence at your correctional facility. Prison administrators — wardens and deputy/assistant wardens When I was first hired at a cor rectional facility in Idaho, I was looking forward to setting up my Vocational Business classroom

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and enrolling offender students. Instead, however, I was assigned to oversee the facility Carpentry Shop. Although initially I found this annoying, later in my career I was thankful for this experience during which I learned tool control poli cies and procedures. What better way for a new Teacher/Instructor to learn the “layout” of a prison than by assigning him/her to spend time in departments and offices such as the Shop, Laundry, Library, Admin,

Chow Hall, Visitation and/or Rec Yard? As a Warden or Deputy/Assis tant Warden, consider working with your Education Principal/Program Manager to use this strategy for in troducing a new Teacher/Instructor to working “behind bars.” Security staff A prison is no place for “silos.” Be careful of the “us vs. them” mindset. Sometimes a CO might

Corrections Today | Fall 2025

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