Corrections Way ambassadors serve a vital role in supporting The Corrections Way, a foundation of conduct and communication built around a core of common values guiding the Department of Corrections in all we do. Ambassadors guide fellow staff to resources and answer questions about Corrections Way training, practice and initiatives.
Team Tipton
Pamela West, Adam Barker, Dominque Morris, Kevin Marshall & Sean Farmer + Randy Witt, Billie Webb & Amanda Butts
The Corrections Way Ambassador Team at Tipton Correctional Center continues to grow and evolve. We started with three members but immediately lost a member after the first boot camp due to a promotion. Since that time, we have had a couple more promotions come from our ranks. Our team now consists of eight ambassadors who hold various positions within the institution.
Our team firmly believes in The Corrections Way and promotes The Corrections Way philosophies throughout the institution. Some examples include posting in the staff newsletter, maintaining a bulletin board at the entrance to the institution, and sending out weekly inspirational quotes. The two things we do that have the greatest impact, though, are holding leadership walks and taking part in frontline staff training. Both of these allow us as ambassadors to meet face to face with staff and talk to them about The Corrections Way and other issues they may have. The Corrections Way is all about improving the lines of communication and having better and more meaningful conversations.
We are looking forward to what the future holds as we return to normal operations. We will be holding some workshops in the coming weeks, and we are very excited. Our two newest ambassadors are looking forward to attending boot camp so they can have a greater impact. TCC is definitely onboard with The Corrections Way, and we are always looking for new ways to promote it.
Katie Williams
Probation & Parole Officer II, District 5
It was in 2017 that the department took a dramatic shift with new leadership, developed a strategic plan, and launched The Corrections Way. DOC started asking front line staff to evaluate their supervisors and give suggestions on how to make the workplace better. They wanted feedback, and staff were finally given a voice!
But there was an even bigger voice that came into my life in 2018 — one whose office was located up the hallway on the left. An inspirational person is defined as someone 'of influence that enlightens, uplifts and encourages others.' Sounds a lot like the definition of an ambassador, doesn’t it? Most of us have had the opportunity to meet people like that — you know, those transformational leaders who radiate enthusiasm, energy and passion for what they do. They make positive changes in those who follow without even realizing they’re doing it. I was lucky enough in 2018 to be assigned to a supervisor whose qualities were exactly that. She also happened to be one of the first Corrections Way ambassadors selected by the department.
I knew I liked the direction the department was going and the changes being made. I started to see some of these changes at my own worksite under new management. In 2018 I was assigned a new supervisor, Kim Mills, who also embraced The Corrections Way and was one of the first ambassadors for the department. At that time, I had been a probation and parole officer for 12 years and considered myself tenured staff. When Kim would come to me to assist with a project, or I was asked to take on additional duties, I felt it was my obligation. I job-coached new staff and became an influencer. But I never saw myself as a leader. To me, I was just doing my job. I took pride in the work I did, and I encouraged others to do the same but never saw myself as a leader. It wasn’t until one day when I received an email from Kim, completely out of the blue, that made me begin thinking about taking a new path in my career. This is what it said:
“Katie, I wanted to let you know that I see you as the heart of the office, but you don’t even let people know that about you!! There is no bragging about it; you just do it. You have such a big heart, and that shows in the way you supervise and the way you care for your co-workers. I hope you take the management route because officers will flourish underneath that type of leadership!”
I received that email on May 19, 2020, and I still have it. I know Kim had no idea what an impact that email had on me. She didn’t realize those words lit a fire inside me. They gave me the desire to do better, be better — be a leader! When she asked me to consider becoming an ambassador, I saw it as my opportunity to work on my leadership skills. I gained an even better understanding of The Corrections Way, and I saw Kim take some of the skills she learned as an ambassador to help staff realize their value. She understood the effects of secondary trauma and the negative impact it could have on morale. She genuinely cared about each and every person in the office, regardless if they were part of her unit. Wellness activities became more frequent, and Kim loved to hear our ideas and see us 'run with them.' And she even loved our children. On Halloween she turned the office into 'the haunted workplace,' and staff brought their kids in to trick or treat. She read something about the connection between smells and sounds and their effects on stress, so she set up a cascading waterfall fountain and aromatherapy station to help create a stress-free environment.
Kim embraced the changes DOC began implementing with the same attitude. She took the goals of the department and made them our goals. Kim had an amazing ability to foster The Corrections Way with staff. Kim utilized positive feedback, led by example, and guided staff as we made the transition into a new style of case management, remote work, and COVID challenges. When staff were sent home to work remotely at the beginning of COVID, she came up with creative ways for staff to stay connected with one another. For one of the challenges, each person had to provide a baby picture, and then there was a contest to match the pictures to the correct staff member.
I witnessed that with such leadership, the rest seemed to fall in place. Work was getting completed individually and through teamwork. Kim made us feel important to her, and in return we felt important to DOC. Office morale was positive, attitudes were encouraging, and the ripple effect of her leadership was evident.
Kim gave me the inspiration I needed to pursue becoming a supervisor. However, as an ambassador, I have been given the opportunity to learn the skills to maintain the positive connections she had created. I have learned how to help staff define their value premise, how to communicate with the different social styles and how you cannot achieve true growth if you never leave your comfort zone. The Corrections Way is alive and well, and ambassadors are working diligently across the state by offering skill buildups and district trainings and by speaking to new staff. The movement continues at the local level through the hard work of our influencers, who are busy creating memory boards, recognizing staff accomplishments and modeling The Corrections Way.
I still have a lot to learn as a supervisor, but I believe having an ambassador as a role model and then becoming an ambassador myself, I have a strong foundation in place and am prepared for any challenge that comes my way. I am excited to see where this journey takes me, and I hope I can be an inspiration to someone along the way, just like Kim was for me.