The Importance of Correctional Officers to Public Safety

It is a very humbling experience to follow in the footsteps of so many great leaders and to become the 43rd President of the American Jail Association. AJA is highly regarded as the go-to source for the best training and technical assistance for local corrections. We lead, educate, and support jail professionals to enhance public safety. That’s AJA’s mission statement and we have lived and breathed it every day for decades. What AJA offers is foundational for operating a jail safely, effectively, and humanely and that supports the critical services that we as correctional officers provide to our local communities.

As you all saw in Ft. Lauderdale, our jails are the very keystone to the entire criminal justice system. You have to go through a local jail to get to the other components of the entire criminal justice system, including parole, probation, prison, courts, or any other part of the system. President Reagan recognized the value that we at the local corrections level provide when he issued a proclamation 40 years ago that designated the first full week in May as National Correctional Officers Week. Paraphrasing his words, “No group of Americans has a ore difficult or less publicly visible job than the brave men and women who work in our correctional facilities. It is appropriate that we honor you; the foundation of local correctional facilities. It is appropriate that we honor you; the foundation of local correctional officers for their invaluable contributions to our society.” He went on to say, “Their profession requires careful and constant vigilance, and the threat of violence is always present.”

President Reagan recognized what every AJA member knows: what we do is physically and emotionally demanding. And he recognized what we should all remind ourselves of every day: our work is important to the public safety of our communities, because we make a difference in the lives of the incarcerated individuals under our supervision.

AJA’s 43rd Conference & Jail Expo was a testament to how AJA provides professional development training to correctional officers. With over 900 attendees at the Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, each person left with a plan to take back to their jail to improve operations and safety.

During my President’s Initiative at the Conference, I gave attendants a list of strategic, actionable items to tackle some of the issues correctional officers face that we can use that will trickle down to individual agencies through a variety of programs. These items are:

• Unless necessitated by state statute, eliminate the use of the words “Jailer” and/or “Guard” by working with BLS and other government and private sector organizations.

• Focusing efforts on reclassifying correctional officers and detention deputies as first responders.

• Ensuring that correctional officers/deputies are treated equitably through the Public Safety Officers’ Benefit (PSOB) program.

• Targeting the definition of regional training programs.

• Targeted support for the Jails and Justice Support Center (JJSC).

• The development of a robust SME list for core training topics such as Legal, Classification, Security, Leadership, and Direct Supervision.

• The expansion of grant opportunities to create strong local, state, and national partnerships.

A targeted membership drive based on meta data available to AJA HQ staff for underserved areas.

The focus of my President’s Initiative is the importance of correctional officers to public safety, and I look forward to raising awareness for all that we do. This includes a national focus on our roles as first responders in the criminal justice system. We will continue to leverage our regional and national training network to provide the most relevant, timely, and professional training to you at a reasonable cost. It was a privilege to see so many of you at our 2024 Conference in Fort Lauderdale.

I hope to see you again at the 2024 Fall Summit in Palm Springs, California, from October 2-4. The focus of this year’s Summit is Elevating Leadership Skills for Jail Professionals. Join us for innovative sessions that focus on practical solutions to the leadership challenges facing mid-level and command staff in the modern world. In addition to professional training, the Fall Summit gives you an opportunity to learn from your colleagues across the nation through various networking opportunities. Topics include ethical leadership, effective communication, time management, toxic culture, and more.

It makes me so proud to have belonged to what I feel is the most noble profession and critical part of the entire criminal justice system for the past 29 years. be proud of what you do and be proud of the commitment you demonstrate to doing it even better by being a member of AJA. Shawn C. Laughlin, MCJ, CJM President American Jail Association