Dangerous but Safe #4

Recognition is dangerous. Most of us like to be recognized for a job well done. Something a lot of people don’t realize, though... When you allow yourself to be recognized, you’re also opening yourself up and making your flaws more visible. This is not me discouraging anyone from well-deserved recognition. People just need to be aware that whenever someone is put on a pedestal, there is always someone else looking for a way to tear them back down. 

For years, correctional officers have complained that they don’t get treated the same as police officers. They’re right—they don’t. Personally, I believe it to be both a blessing and a curse. 

Corrections, at least in my experience, is often thought of as the red-headed stepchild of the state. In North Carolina, we have to work longer before full retirement and we are not paid as well. We have to deal with the same criminals police do, and we do it with a baton, pepper spray and handcuffs, whereas police have handguns and tasers. We have these guys for years and the police only have them for an hour at the most. 

Here’s the big difference in my eyes, though. We may feel like we’re hidden away and forgotten about by the state. However, we are also hidden away from the public eye, for the most part. The police are not. The police are more often recognized for heroism but they are also more often put on blast by the media for something a couple officers have done or appear to have done on body cam, or cell phone camera. 

Now, let’s break it down. Distance—the impact of the gap of public recognition between correctional officers and police is kept, mostly, within the agency. Though, it is discussed in online forums, which can reach far outside the agency. Penetration—how long can the impact last? As long as policies stay the same, the impact will be felt. Body cams for correctional officers is something that has been discussed and even implemented in some places but I haven’t seen them yet. Ricochet—who are the innocent bystanders? Often, they are our friends and family... the ones who have to listen to us rant, and vent our frustrations. Being a correctional officer requires a strong support system. 

Hopefully, all correctional officers get to the point early in their careers where they are comfortable with the lack of public recognition, due to becoming aware of they are also not being put under the public microscope as much. 

Don’t be afraid to do something worthy of recognition.

Go ahead, be dangerous. But be safe, as well. Realize that it’s not just your strength on display but your weaknesses, too.

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This new t-shirt design seems appropriate here.