CORRECTL

The most powerful prison gang, the one that has more influence on prison culture and practices than all others, is not what you might expect. It’s not made up of violent criminals. It’s a multicultural, multi-gender gang with members ranging in age from 21 to 70. Have you guessed the nature of these gangs? Yep, they are the prison employee unions. Most officers would probably call this view absurd, but let’s compare …

Both gangs and unions have a hierarchal group structure, colors, membership requirements, an initiation period and standards of behavior, a language unique to the group, a territory and they work towards common causes. The union gangs’ causes are making sure their members receive the best compensation and benefits possible and protecting individual members from disciplinary action — sometimes to the detriment of society and other members.

In a perfect world, unions would offer support and participate in operational decision-making. Unfortunately, in many cases, the hard-working union members elect representatives much different from themselves. They seek confrontational individuals willing to take issues to the wall, no matter how small, on their behalf. These representatives have the protection of the union cloak and have very little to fear by damaging working relationships between their organizations and management. It’s really too bad because facilities are overcrowded and over budget, and collaboration between management and union employees could result in better long-term solutions for everyone.

Union hierarchy and their budget seem limitless as they use their resources (members dues) to lobby for job security and hire high-priced lawyers to support their efforts. Union activism contributes significantly to the overcrowded mess in our jails and prisons — actively lobbying for longer sentences and tougher paroling laws — and they vehemently oppose prison privatization. They’ve successfully kept private security firms out of many jurisdictions and ousted them in others. The increased population coupled with eliminating the competition result in a system where unions are holding budgets hostage.

90 Percent

Instead of management and union employees looking together for ways to reform prison operations to save money, the adversarial relationship is a barrier to meaningful change. Many jurisdictions have followed judicial orders to release prisoners early. Legalizing marijuana is also gaining popularity to reduce the burden on a burgeoning criminal justice system. Who’s protecting the interests of society in this process? Not the lawmakers concerned about receiving the labor union’s endorsement, and certainly not union officials whose very existence depends on maintaining the union structure.

Powerful employee unions have negotiated wage and benefit packages consuming an overwhelming majority of prison budgets. Some estimates indicate at least 90 percent of prison budgets are devoted to prison employee costs (wages, benefits, uniforms and training), and budgets have swelled to accommodate these personnel costs. Binding arbitration is often required to settle contract negotiations because prison employees do not typically have the right to strike.

The prison employee grievance system is broken beyond repair. Grievances are often only resolved after further compensation is awarded, and many times employees receive money for hours they didn’t actually work, such as when an employee is inadvertently bypassed for overtime work. Instead of offering the grievant time in the prison to make up the overtime, they’re paid without having to work. It’s absurd. Who’s making these decisions? You guessed it: an independent arbitrator typically decides.
By D.M. Chamberlain

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