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guest
editorial

A Social Media Generation:

The Next Step

The world of corrections Don’t get me wrong, I am One such event I can think Anthony Schein, CJO
has gone through many neither jealous nor jaded about of is called “Coloring with
shifts and cultural changes that fact. I am very happy Cops,” where local children
throughout the years, but it staying out of the public eye. and parents can come and
seems we are on the brink of As corrections officers, we hang out with some cops,
one of the largest adjustments tend to be featured in the color some pictures, and get
yet. Although Generation X news only when something to know the officers. The
(born 1965–1979) tends to be negative happens. Otherwise, local police department just
the ones currently in charge the public is perfectly content adopted a puppy, named it
of the institutions, they are forgetting about our existence “Leo,” and now write posts
slowly but surely reaching the entirely. Perhaps it is time that about Leo on social media. I
age of retirement. We are now changes. also see them participating
on the brink of the Millennial in the social challenges that
takeover. Come Out of the Shadows go viral, such as the Lip-Sync
As a Millennial, I do not How do we reach the Battle and Running Man
consider myself part of the Millennials and get them Challenge. Plenty of police
stereotypical variety. You interested in working at a jail? agencies posted their videos of
won’t see me driving a Prius To me, the answer is clear. We them, but I was hard-pressed
to the local coffee shop, must come out of the shadows to find too many correctional
“checking in” on Facebook, or and remind people that we do agencies doing the same.
posting a picture of my Venti exist. We must get involved What does all this accomplish?
double-shot café mocha with in the community, just as our Well, it humanizes the law
the caption “It’s that kind of brothers and sisters in blue do. enforcement field. We live in
day.” However, this is the Like a lot of Millennials, a time where it is popular to
culture that I now see within my social media of choice is dislike the badge. Many young
the field. It has snuck in, and Facebook. Often, I see local people hate us, and it is hard
none of us could have seen it police and deputies posting to battle against something so
coming. about their community-related trendy. But even in the face of
You may wonder why those activities. They happily attend adversity, we must fight it. We
of us in corrections should or even manage their own must be persistent.
be concerned with this. The community charity events. We can do this by showing
correct answer would be our lighter side. We can
“recruitment.” I think it is do this by showing our
safe to say that you would humorous side. We can do
be hard-pressed to find any this by showing our human
correctional facility that would We can do this side. Luckily, we live in an
say they are fully staffed. We age that is so connected this
work in a thankless industry, by showing our isn’t really hard to do. Police
but a necessary one. What agencies are already doing so
child tells their parents “I through social media, and so
want to grow up and be a human side. . . should we. My facility has a
corrections officer?” Instead, cat who has been guarding
kids want to be cops because
they can be the heroes.
Continued on page 68

AMERICANJails JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2022 | 5