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| Three words, one consistent philosophy |
| By Sarah Etter, News Reporter |
| Published: 09/25/2006 |
Every warden faces similar challenges in corrections. They must keep watch over inmate behavior, staff needs, and facility security. For Mike Samberg, recently named Warden of the Year by the North American Association of Wardens and Superintendents, meeting those challenges requires strategy and planning. 
“Corrections is like one big chess game,” Samberg says. “It's all about the ability to adapt to anything placed in front of you. It's a matter of mind and agility. I love everything about it; the challenges, the successes, and even the failures.” Samberg's achievements were celebrated this year at the American Correctional Association's 136th Conference in North Carolina during a lavish NAAWS banquet. Samberg entered corrections working as a caseworker in Kentucky. Soon, he was inspired to become a CO of all trades, working his way through positions ranging from deputy commissioner to warden in both the public and private sectors. Currently, he is a warden at the Corrections Corporation of America's Metro-Davidson County Detention Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Samberg is well known for being one of the first wardens to hire female caseworkers in the 1970's when the practice was practically unheard of. Although it was an unconventional idea at the time, he says he wanted to hire the best person for the job regardless of gender. Another of Samberg's philosophies can be summed up in three letters: RMA. “That stands for Right Mental Attitude. In corrections, you have to have it. Everyone has bad days, but if you can stay positive, those bad days aren't nearly so bad,” he says. Samberg stays focused on the old corrections stand-by of being firm, fair and consistent too. “When I'm dealing with inmates, I try to remember that they are people. If an inmate has a question that seems trivial to me, I try to remember that it's really important to them. I try not to forget to treat them how I'd like to be treated.” The up-and-coming generation of CO's and administrators are also important to him so he spends much of his free time passing advice to new faces in the facility. “I'm really big on mentoring the younger crowd,” Samberg says. “I take great pride in seeing young people succeed. I think the younger generation is really brilliant, and it's a pleasure to work with them.” One tip the warden offers to the newest crop of COs is to learn from mistakes. He warns that when things go right all the time, people have a tendency to take policy and procedure for granted. “The best way to learn in corrections is to see everything go wrong,” he says with a laugh. “When something bad happens, when mistakes are made, that's when you learn the most. You can turn any disadvantage into an advantage if you just learn from it.” Samberg adds that every CO has to remember to do the right thing at all times because corrections is a high integrity business. “As you move up the ladder in corrections, you have to make choices quickly. You have to think fast, you have to stay on your toes. There are going to be hard decisions to make. But you have to just take the high road, stick to what you know is right. It works out in the long run.” Samberg's tips and philosophies might make him seem like a natural for a warden job, but he admits that he was surprised to find success in the field. “If anyone had told me I was going to end up working as a warden, I would have told them to put their money on the table,” he jokes. “I'm a first-generation baby boomer. I'm from the sixties. I loved the sixties. What can I say?” But his free spirit attitude made him very successful through his 35 years in the business. Yet, when he was chosen as Warden of the Year, he was shocked. “I was speechless for fifteen minutes,” he recalls. “And anyone who knows me knows that rarely ever happens. I was just floored. I can't even describe the feeling. I was totally humbled and overwhelmed. To have my family and my colleagues there, to step onto that stage and hold that award in my hands --- it's just something I will never forget.” |
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