Rethinking Structure: Embracing Interconnectedness in Jail Management - Not a Hierarchy but a Wagon Wheel
Randolph Peshon
While strolling through the jail, I overheard an officer assert, “The officers are the most important part of the jail.” I couldn’t resist intervening, “But who prepares the meals, provides medical care, and maintains the facility?” The ensuing silence was revealing. The officers were undeniably crucial, providing safety and control that allowed other units to function. However, from a broader jail management perspective, every unit, including administrative staff and policymakers, played an equally vital role in the professional operation of the jail. It’s not a matter of one unit being more critical than the other, but rather the interconnectedness of all units that ensures the smooth operation of a jail.
There is a Natural Friction
In any organization, there is natural friction or a belief of superiority between the individual components. The debate over who is the most important often arises. The friction may arise from a competition for resources or attention (Johnson, 2019a). However, it’s crucial to recognize that every member, regardless of their role, is an essential part of the organization. All functions are significant, and all contributions are equally valuable. Like the spokes of a wheel, there are not separate entities but interconnected parts of a unified whole that rely on each other to keep the organization operating smoothly. As professionals in jail management, our role in understanding and addressing these frictions is crucial to maintaining the efficient operation of the jail. It’s our responsibility to address these issues and foster a culture of respect and cooperation, ensuring that every unit feels valued and integral to the jail’s operation.
Just as a wagon wheel relies on each spoke to maintain its structure, each jail unit is also like a spoke, interconnected and reliant on the others. This interconnectedness is a tangible reality that keeps the organization operating smoothly and successfully. Being interconnected makes everyone a unified whole, where each role is equally important.
Our agencies are hierarchical organizations. The organizational chart, with its neat lines and boxes flowing downward from the agency’s top, serves as an essential map of responsibility. Each box, representing a unit, follows a line to the next. The lines and boxes reflect the strict order of the organization. However, it’s important to note that the organizational chart, while crucial for defining responsibilities, does not inherently create value for each unit’s contribution. It’s time to challenge these hierarchical views and empower every unit in the jail management system by recognizing their value and contribution.
Viewing the organization as a wagon wheel is a proactive methodology, not a strict hierarchy. No laws or policies state that “the organization is a wagon wheel with each unit considered equal and essential to all other units.” Managers must communicate the idea of an organization as a wagon wheel through their actions, words, and interests. The message is clear if the leader focuses on specific functions: “They don’t care about the rest.”
Units viewing themselves as superior to others in the organization is not unique to jails. In July 2024, following a bomber crash, the United States Air Force relieved the commander. The accident investigation report stated the commander focused on flight operations and gave scant attention to critical sub-units, leading to a breakdown in hazard recognition and communication. The failure resulted in the loss of a multi-million-dollar aircraft and injuries to the crew (United States Airforce [USAF], 2024).
In September of 2024, the City of Los Angeles released a survey of the employees of the police department to determine the causes of poor morale and dysfunction. One of the findings stated in part: “Civilian employees, who face an ever-increasing workload, often feel undervalued and perceive unequal treatment compared to their sworn counterparts,” (Mayor’s Office of Public Safety, 2024).
Our initial response might be, “Oh no, not us. Our agency operates as a team; everyone contributes equally.” However, it is essential to ask ourselves: Do we genuinely comprehend the attitudes within our units? If we fail to be aware of the friction between sub-units of jail operations, consequences may ensue.
The naturalist John Muir wrote, “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe ” (Muir, 2024). This sentiment is true for jails, as issues in custody operations often do not involve just one function. Friction between sub-units can have several causes. Consider the jail organization as a circle. Where will the employees place a dot on the circle to show where their unit is in the organization? A circle in the center indicates that the unit believes it stands above all the other units. A dot on the circle suggests they are an equal part of the organization. A unit will cause friction with other units by thinking they are the circle’s center.
In 1943, Abraham Maslow wrote in “A Theory of Human Motivation” that people have a hierarchy of needs. Included in these needs are a sense of connection and respect for others. Do people in every function feel valued? This includes belonging, self-esteem, and motivation. Reciprocity and a willingness to work as a team suffer if people do not believe they have equal value in the organization (Maslow, 2022).
Causes of Friction Between Units
The jail leadership may be most comfortable with units they are most familiar with, focusing on just particular units of the jail’s operation and unintentionally discounting the remaining parts. This focus may be due to the leader having more experience with a specific unit.
The jail staff works every day with the incarcerated population. Often, incarcerated individuals attempt to subvert an employee, gain privileges, or obtain contraband. Constantly being on guard when dealing with incarcerated individuals can heighten our suspicions of others. This can increase the desire to dominate the groups around us and provide a sense of control.
People desire to avoid inequities. We hear all too often about fairness. But as our parents told us, “Life is not fair.” People do not like to see unequal outcomes and are less likely to trust and positively reciprocate if they believe they are being mistreated. Management can inadvertently increase these outcomes by focusing on only a few sub-units to the detriment of the rest. However, the requirements of each sub-unit need to be addressed to create equity in the jail operation. The outcome may not be fair as individual groups’ needs differ. However, each unit should be treated equitably (Baddleley, 2017).
The organizational chart can create silos which limit interaction between sub-units. Each unit is in a silo, and they may assume they know what another unit does and why they do it. A paradigm is our view of the world around us (Paradigm, 2024). Our knowledge and experiences shape it. People view the world through the framework of their paradigm. A false impression may occur by not taking the time to understand another’s reasoning; we base our reactions on our beliefs (The Arbinger Institute, 2010).
If the members of one unit assume they know why another unit requires an action and there is no communication about why the action is being taken, then the reaction from the first unit may be harmful. This adverse reaction will cause the second unit to respond in kind. Absent dialogue between the units, a downward cycle of emotions and a lack of communication will continue until severe dysfunction in the jail’s operations occurs.
Consequences of Friction
Sheriffs have been surprised to be named in a legal action concerning jail conditions when their expertise was from elsewhere, and they assumed the jail management knew what they were doing.
This author’s review of over 20 jail consent decrees nationwide between 2011 and 2024 showed deficiencies in various areas, including medical, facility conditions, mental illness, safety, excessive force, exercise, and more.
In many instances, the solutions for the issues listed in the decrees impacted several operational units. For example, incarcerated individuals receiving mental health treatment required more exercise time out of their cells. This caused increased interactions with other incarcerated individuals, leading to a higher potential for violence, which required more deputies to be present. While the mental health unit was trying to provide appropriate care, the deputies were impacted by the need for more recreation time (Johnson, 2019b).
Individual units in a jail usually know when problems are developing. However, by assigning the responsibility to another unit, they fail to take immediate remedial action to prevent the large and expensive consequences of the unaddressed problem.
Changing the Paradigm
A wagon wheel supports the weight on the rim. The wheel should be balanced, with each spoke carrying a share of the weight, allowing the wagon to roll smoothly. When one spoke is pulled out, the wheel may even support the weight for a period. Before too long, the wheel will become out of round, bumping along until collapsing. When one unit considers itself more essential, an imbalance occurs, leading to an unhealthy culture of resentment between units. Taking the initiative to understand these attitudes is necessary to our responsibility to maintain a healthy and productive work environment. When units support each other, there is a greater likelihood of mistakes being noticed and corrected and new efficiencies being discovered.
Benefits of a Wagon Wheel Methodology
A culture caused by management in which specific units are considered superior to others encourages the employees in the remaining units to believe they will not be heard and subsequently keep silent about issues affecting the entire jail operation.
When employees, regardless of their assignment, believe that management values their contribution equally, they are more likely to speak up about issues and work with other units to provide solutions. With units working together and not in competition, issues can be easily and quickly addressed before they transform into significant problems.
When management applies a wagon wheel methodology to the organizational structure, the units are empowered to support each other in real time without direction from management. This creates a decentralized and adaptable culture where teams share information and are encouraged to raise issues before significant problems arise (McChrystal, 2015).
Signs and Solutions
Managers must allocate time to listen to the staff and model the inclusion of all units. When a manager spends time with everyone, the message is each unit has an equal value. When listening to a problem, the manager should consider how the proposed solution affects the other units. The leadership should continue to stress the dependency of the units upon each other. Employees notice every word and non-verbal sign a manager may communicate. A manager who listens to the members of each unit, acts on their concerns, and follows up with them will create a sense of value in the organization.
Management can strive to develop trust and reciprocity. Do the units in the jail help each other or offer suggestions to improve efficiency across functions? If one unit helps another, the first is more likely to reciprocate (Baddleley, 2017).
All supervisors should attend the staff meetings and contribute. Is attendance restricted to sergeants? Dialogue should include the needs and inputs of all the units. Having all supervisors be on the same page and supporting each other can lead to strong teamwork in a jail.
Ensure parity in the training opportunities provided between the units. Are training opportunities offered to each unit, or is training prioritized for the officers? Are cooks sent to specialty schools to learn how to provide quality religious meals? Are clerks provided training to improve their computer skills? Do all supervisors receive basic and updated leadership training regardless of their unit?
Do all employees wear the same uniforms? Is there a fear that people from other classifications will be mistaken for the unit that considers itself superior? If possible, everyone should wear the same uniform. This will enhance management’s message that everyone is on the same team.
Are assignments permanent or rotated regularly? By rotating assignments, the employees learn more about the other units in the jail and help break down silos between the units.
Does management understand the functions and needs of each unit? One jail commander undertook to learn more about the jail’s food services. When the cooks challenged the jail commander to take the required national Serve Safe test for cooks, they were pleased when the commander passed!
Be Consistent, Expect Resistance
Management should expect resistance when formerly neglected units are perceived to gain status. Should a unit believe they are losing power, even if it is informal or unofficial power, they may push back with strong emotions. Sweeping orders and policies about the units’ value can create resistance from those who suddenly feel devalued. Management should take small, constant steps to empower previously ignored units and not undermine the units that believe they are the most important. By consistently demonstrating the value of each unit, the manager can encourage employees to realize the benefits of the changes and develop into one team. (Walter, 2022)
Conclusion
Fostering an effective, healthy, balanced organizational culture requires thoughtful leadership and communication approaches. While an organizational chart emphasizes the responsibilities of all the units, management, through their actions, can ensure that each team is valued and supports the others. Addressing any imbalances that prioritize specific units over others is crucial. A management philosophy incorporating all the units’ contributions and needs strengthens the mission. We can cultivate a culture where every member is a valued and interconnected part of the team.
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Randolph Peshon retired as an Undersheriff after 42 years in law enforcement, including 11 years as a jail and custody division commander. He holds a master’s degree in law enforcement and public safety leadership from the University of San Diego and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley. Randolph is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and California’s Command College. He may be reached at rbpeshon@gmail.com
References
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Johnson, B. (2019a, December 3). Rethink competition in the workplace. Stanford Graduate School of Business. Retrieved October 21, 2024, from www.gsb.stanford.edu>insights>freethink-competion-workforce
Johnson, N. (2019b, August 2). San Bernadino County: Jails lack health care, but have plan to improve. USC Anneberg Center for Health Journalism. Retrieved September 7, 2024, from centerforhealthjournalism.org
Mayor’s Office of Public Safety. (September 2024). Chief of Police: Community engagement report. City of Los Angeles.
McChrystal, S. (2015). Team of Teams. Penguin Publishing Group.
Paradigm. (2024, October 20). Vocabulary.com. https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/paradigm
The Arbinger Institute. (2010). Leadership and self-deception. Berrett-Koehler.
United States Airforce. (July 2024). Aircraft Accident Investigation (B-1B, T/N 85-0085).
Maslow, A. H. (2022). A theory of human motivation. Grapevine India.
Muir, J. (2024). My First summer in the Sierra. Grapevine India.
Walter, B. F. (2022). How Civil Wars Start (First ed.). Penguin Random House LLC.
