Corrections_Today_September_October_2020_Vol.82_No.5

n Museums

a dangerous situation for any corrections officer. Ac- cording to reports, “the inmate was also a well-known member of the ‘Los 27’ and ‘La Nieta’ gangs domiciled out of Puerto Rico, who are notorious for their violent acts against law enforcement personnel.” Clearly, Taylor was in one of the most dangerous situations any corrections officer could find themselves in, and there was more. “Through the subsequent criminal investigation of this attempted escape, it was determined that this inmate planned to walk out of the jail dressed as a corrections officer. The gun was factored into his plan and would be used if someone attempted to stop him or inter- vene,” according to investigators. “He was prepared to

The museum is dedicated to telling the story of American law enforcement while working to expand and enrich the relationship shared by law enforcement and the community.

It turns out corrections and corrections officers are a bit of an enigma. The general public does not fully know what it is, who they are, what they do or how they do it. While “corrections” refers to the supervi- sion of persons arrested for, convicted of, or sentenced for criminal offenses, and correctional populations fall into two general categories: institutional corrections and community corrections, there is much more to it than that — much more. And that is why any museum that tells the story of cor- rections must know that the story is a dynamic one — it is a “living story” that, like the Museum itself, is still evolv- ing. Housed in this three-story structure is not the story of corrections, but the beginnings of the story of corrections. And what better way to begin a dynamic story than with a harrowing, heroic and dynamic event. Reeshemah Taylor On June 22, 2009, Reeshemah Taylor, who was as- signed to the Medical Unit of the Osceola County Jail in Central Florida, was carrying out her routine duties as a corrections officer. When she decided to search for her fellow CO, she found herself confronted by an inmate who had taken her colleague hostage and had actually changed into that officer’s uniform. Upon seeing Tay- lor, the inmate immediately placed a fully loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun to Taylor’s head as she entered the room. An inmate like this one, with a history of violent felony charges and serving three consecutive life sentences with no possibility of parole, represents

Photo courtesy of Hope Hicka/Osceola County Corrections

Osceola County Jail CO Reeshemah Taylor stands in the National Law Enforcement Museum, where she was recognized for her bravery during a dangerous situation in 2009.

34 — September/October 2020 Corrections Today