Arsebackward

Here's a conundrum; that the big bad criminals who are imprisoned after trials finding them guilty for committing illegal activities injurious to their society, may be corrupting the values and morals of the very prison employees who have been trained to work within the prison system in various capacities. Isn't that just too precious for words? That justice officials in Manitoba claim there have been too many instances of attempts by gang members to "corrupt" jail employees.

Which claim nudges the imagination to visualize innocent, and rather unintelligent employees of the prison system being oh so unfairly taken advantage of. Their morals and value judgements, sterling and unimpeachable before they took employment in the prison system, completely upended through direct contact with the criminal element of society. Not that the guards and other prison employees may have had a predilection toward illicit behaviour, or were morally anaesthetised by their own choice.

The province's executive director of adult custody simply deplores this newly-discovered state of affairs. "Efforts are being made to intimidate our staff" he huffs and puffs. "This is an exceedingly serious matter inside the jail." Well yes, it most certainly must present as such. And what about the screening of those individuals who seek employment as prison staff? With respect to the sustainability of their good character?

With regard to their potential to become corrupted through, for example, a blighted past of illegal activities, or mental instability, or previous associations, or any number of other signposts, such as substance or alcohol abuse? What about the very real responsibility of prison authorities to properly screen potential employees, to ensure security is sustained and respected? If their employment criteria are lacking, then tighten them.

Three instances of female correctional officers indulging in sexual relations with inmates, with on-duty use of recreational drugs have been chronicled. Along with those who assist inmates in smuggling substances into the prison system. And there are other prison employees whose experience it has been to report these infractions, only to realize that nothing positive results from them. Pretty frustrating, one might imagine.

Leaving the vast majority of prison employees to wonder why it is that they observe all the criteria for good management with scrupulous care, only to be implicated by innuendo when those whose casual betrayal of the system are outed to the news media raise other suspicions.

While their superiors have the gall to place blame where it doesn't belong, rather than take responsibility for their own inadequacies.