Corrections_Today_September_October_2021_Vol.83_No.5

n Connections

In a recent autoethno- graphic research project, I explored events I experi- enced during my correctional career. 3 Using an arts-based inquiry methodology that included reflection and nar - rative inquiry, I documented and studied specific events that helped mold my profes- sional self. By reflecting on and studying the decisions and actions I made through- out my career, others may benefit and learn from them, just as I have. Over the years, I found when I tried to develop hu- man connections between myself and an inmate, I had markedly improved the cor- rectional experience. I tried to connect in a way that lets them see me as a human be- ing who cares about another human being. As you read the remaining sections of

Photo courtesy K. Roberson

Observatory Hill, Yankton, SD, Federal Prison Camp Yankton.

all that great. He stated he had no need for a GED and was only in class because he did not want to lose his good conduct time for not participating. We came to an under- standing; if he would not distract other students who were there to learn, he could read a book or magazine for the 90 minutes of class. Fast forward a couple of months, this same student was still not interested in learning and continued to display the same negative attitude at any sign of author- ity. I happened to be working a late shift one evening and when managers at my institution do this, we are required to assist in supervising the evening meal. That night, I had posted myself outside the exit of the foodservice facil- ity to check inmates as they left to make sure they were not taking unauthorized food back to the housing units. The spot I posted myself was adjacent to a botanical garden the horticulture program used as a lab for identify- ing woody plants, perennials, annuals and various other plants used in landscaping. It was a beautiful evening, and I could see rays of sunshine beaming through the lower

this article, I ask you to reflect on a time when you made a human connection that fostered positive rapport with an inmate. I encourage you to share these stories and events with your peers and new staff to develop a culture of shared responsibility in our inmate’s rehabilitative needs. One such experience, from my autoethnography, was from an experience I had a couple of years ago. It developed because Monarch Butterflies happened to be making their yearly migration through a botanical garden in Madison, Wisconsin. A reflection It starts with a new student who transferred in from another prison and had a bit of a chip on his shoulder, a real bad attitude when it came to following instructions while participating in his GED classes. The problem had gotten bad enough that one of the teachers asked me to intervene. My initial interaction with the student was not

24 — September/October 2021 Corrections Today