Page 39 - 2021_JA_Complete2

said. “You don’t get to leave shift
after that’s over; you have to go
back to work.”
And you do so knowing you
might have another eight hours left
in your shift, President Lambert
said. “We are guarded. We put up
this wall around us that we are
tough and we are thick-skinned,
and nothing bothers us,” she said.
“I think that’s part of how we were
trained, but I also think it’s part of
how we are wired.”
The women then discussed the
reluctance of staff members to seek
assistance. “In this environment,
we’re taught not to share,” Ms.
Travis said. “You absolutely don’t
share with inmates. And we’re
taught not to overshare with your
staff.” Sharing too much can be
perceived as weakness among your
peers and by jail leadership. “Staff
is reluctant to talk about stress and
trauma and things that they’ve
experienced. It’s a sign of weakness.
That’s the perception,” President
Lambert said. “It’s a stigma, and
that stigma has to go away.”
President Lambert said jails have
“jumped in headfirst” to do their
best with the inmate population, but
often forget about their own staff.
Health and wellness is much larger
than just mental health, she said.
“So many factors come into play to
make us a well-rounded example
of a healthy employee,” she said.

CORRECTIONAL CORRECTIONAL
TRAINING OFFICER OFFICER OF THE YEAR AWARD
OF THE YEAR Benjamin Grant
AWARD
Boatswains Mate First Class/
Veronica L. Berry Operations Department Lead
Deputy Sheriff Petty Officer
Broward Sheriff’s Office Naval Consolidated Brig
Department of Detention Charleston Detachment
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Chesapeake
Chesapeake, Virginia
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

AMERICANJails JULY | AUGUST 2021 | 37