Advancing Corrections Journal - Edition #8 - Investing in Staff (ACJ8-A011)

Article 11: Caring For The Boldest-A Wellness Center For Staff At The New York City Department Of Correction (ACJ8-A011)

Abstract

The New York City Department of Correction (NYCDOC) has taken an innovative approach toward improving staff wellness. This paper will provide a brief review of some of the correctional literature that has focused on the impact of working in jails and prisons. Data from a number of agency surveys will be presented and discussed. As a result of a declining inmate population on Rikers Island, the administration decided to make use of a decommissioned jail by turning it into a staff wellness center and staff training center. The center opened on April 8, 2019. T his paper will focus on the steps the agency took to identify employees’ perception of their work and their organization so an informed approach could be taken towards a system-wide shift in the culture around staff-wellness.

Please log in to download the full article. Access is available exclusively to ICPA Full, Staff, and Professional Members.

Authors

Dr. Judy Beale

Assistant Commissioner, Division of Training & Development, New York City Department of Correction, United States

Dr. Judy Beale is the Assistant Commissioner of the Division of Training & Development at the New York City Department of Correction. Prior to joining the Department, she worked for the Maine Department of Corrections as the Director of Correctional Programs for the state prison system. Dr. Beale has over 15 years of Corrections experience. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and holds a PhD in Human Services with a focus in Corrections from Capella University, a Master of Social Work from Rhode Island College, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Roger Williams College. Her recent publications include Offender rehabilitation and reentry during emerging adulthood: A review and introduction of a new approach. (In Padilla-Walker, L. M., & Nelson, L. J. (Eds). Flourishing in emerging adulthood: Positive development during the third decade of life, 2017); In the eye of the beholder? An examination of the inter-rater reliability of the LSI-R and YLS/CMI in a correctional agency (Journal of Criminal Justice, 2014); The introduction of a level system and its effect on prisoner behavior and the management of a prison (ProQuest, 2014).

Justin von Bujdoss

Staff Chaplain, Executive Director, Division of Chaplaincy and Staff Wellness, New York City Department of Correction, United States

Justin von Bujdoss serves as Staff Chaplain and Executive Director of the Division of Chaplaincy and Staff Wellness for New York City Department of Correction where he has worked since September 2016. His responsibilities include overseeing and maintaining the spiritual care and wellness needs of all NYC DOC employees as well as supervising the spiritual care needs of those in NYC DOC custody. He has served as a chaplain in a variety of other disciplines including in hospital and hospice settings and has trained in a number of monasteries in northeastern India, where he received ordination. He is author of Modern Tantric Buddhism: Embodiment and Authenticity in Dharma Practice.

Advancing Corrections Journal - Edition #8 - Investing in Staff (ACJ8-A011)

Related topics

You may also be interested in