Chinedum, Correctional Manager
Meet Chinedum, a Correctional Manager at Edmonton Institution in Alberta. Chinedum explains his day-to-day work with CSC, including how he leads a team of Correctional Officers to maintain the safety and security of the institution, and how it’s different from what we may see in the movies.
Video transcript
People watch a lot of movies, and what you see in the movie is different from what we experience here on site. There might be instances that are relatable, but the general scope of working with offenders in a very dynamic environment is you engage in having a plan, knowing what is expected of you, and making sure that you're following the law and policy.
Hi, my name is Chinedum. I am a Correctional Manager. Prior to CSC, I had worked for different law enforcement agencies. I work for the sheriffs. I also work for the Provincial corrections. CSC does provide you the opportunity for you to go hands on with the offenders in regards to supporting them with their correctional plan, supporting them with program and activities or even getting better rehabilitation for release eventually when they are back into society. It can be challenging to work with offenders. Sometimes they will work with you and other times they won’t work with you. As an officer, it's important to understand the different, styles of communication, which could be verbal or non-verbal cues. With that, you can understand those challenges and understand a lot better than spoken words. Spoken words is also a form of communication.
But putting the whole pieces together, you get a better understanding of the challenges the offenders face and you have a better understanding as to how to support the offenders with their challenges. What makes a good correctional manager is a good follower. For you to be a good leader, you have to be a good follower.
You have to listen to your floor officers. So being a correctional manager is sort of like a bridge in between the frontline staff and senior management, where you have an idea of challenges that officers face, while working on the floor. And you understand what is the expectation of the policies, and you're able to provide guidance to both parties as to the challenges that officers are facing with relation to senior managers making decisions to create a safer environment.
The favorite thing about my job is I get to make a difference. I get to support my colleagues. I get to support my colleagues when it comes to, information, I get to support my colleagues with coaching. I get to support, the offenders, with their correctional plan and also partly mentorship in preparation for offenders being released into the community.