NJ Cops March2018 | Page 62

2018 NJSPBA Mini-Convention The breakout point Corrections officers get perspective from national expert n BY AMBER RAMUNDO At the conclusion of the first day, corrections officers gath- ered in a breakout room with American Correctional Officer Intelligence Network (ACOIN) Executive Director Brian Dawe to address the issues that only those who work behind bars can understand. “It’s overdue in our profession that we have this voice, this unity and this strength regardless of where we come from,” urged Dawe, who has made it his mission to safeguard cor- rections agencies by spreading information through ACOIN. Dawe worked in the Department of Corrections in Massa- chusetts for 16 years, but he made it clear that he knows ex- actly what New Jersey corrections officers are up against, with the onset of political justice reform that threatens to close and consolidate facilities without considering the impact that such action will have corrections officers. Citing a consolidation study compiled in Michigan, Dawe spoke directly to the counties in New Jersey that have already DCH Volkswagen of Freehold 4360 Route 9 South • Freehold NJ 07728 732-810-7900 www.dchvwoffreehold.com Special pricing for Law Enforcement, Firefighters, teachers and their immediate family members. Contact Retired Essex County Corrections Sergeant Michael Capadona Sales Manager 732-810-7919 or email [email protected] Monday–Friday: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. 62 NEW JERSEY COPS ■ MARCH 2018 been affected by the problem, including Gloucester, Burling- ton and Salem counties. “Once consolidation takes place, everybody walks away and doesn’t pay attention to the aftermath,” Dawe recog- nized. “You’ve got to get ahead of this jail consolidation. We can either sit here and see us lose another jail, or we can guide the conversation.” The room was packed with corrections officers who listened to Dawe examine issues that they felt impact their working conditions and well-being. “That fight-or-flight that we have to deal with every single day we’re behind those walls, that’s what kills us,” he warned. “Our biggest problem is that we can’t admit it, because they’ll take our jobs.” Dawe detailed how important it is for corrections officers across the country to stand together now more than ever to raise their voice as one. “I’ll take you to Juneau, Alaska, throw you in a joint and you’re going to do the same job you did in Morris County,” he explained. “We have universal problems, and they have uni- versal solutions when we have strength and a voice.” Educating members and communicating about the effects of criminal justice reform in correctional facilities is where it begins. Dawe called upon all PBA members present at the discussion to demand their seats at the legislative table and stand unified across the nation to see positive change. “We’re here to tell them what it’s really like behind the walls,” he stressed. “We need to participate in these conver- sations and let them know what our view of criminal justice reform is.” d