This is part one of two about improving the public perception of corrections. Part one focuses on jails.

There are many movies and television shows about prisons and jails; The Shawshank Redemption, Cool Hand Luke, OZ, Prison Break and The Rock are just a few.

Although these big-screen dramas and little-screen tragedies might get two-thumbs up from movie critics and break television ratings records, they also perpetuate ideas about corrections that are not necessarily accurate.

“We definitely have a bad image of corrections in the media. The public image of correction professionals is all too often someone who is significantly overweight, walking around and swinging a night stick. Is that a problem? Certainly!” says David Parrish, a Colonel with the Department of Detention Services for the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office in Tampa, Florida.

“Look at the news media as well. Everyone focuses on something catastrophic like escapes, murders and suicides.”

According to Parrish, who recently spoke about the public image of corrections at the American Jail Association's 25th annual conference, jail officials and administrators must open their doors and market themselves in a way that combats the negative stereotypes already in place.

“Part of this whole problem is that officers and officials are out of sight and out of mind. They work hard behind the scenes and are rarely acknowledged,” he says. “We need to change that by proving we're doing a great job and letting the public see that for themselves.”

Before opening the doors to the public or the media, Parrish recommends making sure facilities have enough information to promote themselves. 

“You don't want to attempt to sell yourself if you've got nothing to sell,” he warns. “But once you're prepared, you cannot do enough to sell yourself to the public. It's a very important aspect of corrections.”

Parrish offers three tips to ensure that facilities promote their success in a way that would make the public proud.

• Adopt a direct supervision style of management. After working in corrections for years, Parrish says that direct supervision is the best way to run a jail because officials can ensure their jails are in control. The National Institute of Corrections offers many resources for jails considering the switch to DS management. 

• Become accredited with as many agencies as possible. It is the best measure of a well-run facility. Try to achieve the standards your specific state sets, as well as those agencies like the American Correctional Association. 

According to Parrish, only 120 out of 3,330 jails in the United States are accredited.

“That's a pretty pathetic number,” he says. “We need to change that.”

• Pursue professional staff development. Additional classes, seminars and online development courses can all make a difference for staff looking to improve their performance. Look to the AJA and the American Correctional Association for certified programs and workshops.

“In any profession, you can go above and beyond,” says Parrish. “Corrections is no exception.”

• Establish a state-wide email list-serv for officials. By creating a private email group for officials, communication between departments, facilities and administrators will flourish.

“We put together a closed, private list-serv for all jail administrators in Florida, and it's probably one of the best things we've ever done. It offers a support system, and it's an invaluable resource.”

Once these steps have been taken, it's time to open the doors. Parrish says he has always welcomed the media, public and even politicians into his jails to educate them about corrections.

“We need to show everyone what goes on behind the scenes in corrections. Last year, we served 5.6 million meals to inmates. It's like running a little city in here. It's an eye-opener for most people once they see what we do on a daily basis,” he explains.

Additionally, it's important for local jails to generate good press.

While mainstream media might try to sensationalize corrections, it is ultimately up to jail administrators and officers to promote positive press for their institutions.

By answering questions like: “Does our facility use advanced technology to address security issues? Do we offer educational programs to inmates?” officials can highlight the constructive aspects of their facility and turn the media attention into a chance for corrections to shine.

“When people tour our jails, they go nuts over the kiosks we've installed for inmate commissaries. For us, that project started out as a more efficient way to do business and help our programs division out, but now it's a community hit,” adds Parrish.

Parrish also used a National Institute of Corrections video entitled “Beyond the Myths: The Jail in Your Community” to bring more positive attention to local corrections.

“We took a copy of that video and spent the extra eight minutes to fill in the beginning with specific information about our jail,” Parrish explains. “We put it on the government access television station and now it runs locally. That has opened many eyes in our community. It's a great video, a great resource, and now it has local appeal.”

Taking advantage of a few or all of Parrish's tips can improve the image of local corrections. By ensuring that a facility maintains professionalism, accreditation, and direct supervision, officials can create positive press and show the community the hard work accomplished each day.

For those hesitant to bring themselves into the public eye, Parrish offers a word of advice.

“If you don't toot your own horn, nobody else is going to do it for you. As we used to say when I was younger: Toot, toot!”

Next week, in part two, Corrections.com will cover changing the public perception of corrections for prisons.