External Conflict
Another serious cause of external conflict in corrections comes from outside of the department. Issues such as funding and politics can cause many problems within correctional facility. Funding is a difficult issue to address in corrections. Correctional facilities rarely are granted the money they need in order to adequately maintain their facilities or staffing issues. Corrections officers are generally very underpaid and overworked. However, leaders within correctional institutions must regularly find a way in order to maintain moral despite inadequate funding and pay. Different leaders choose different ways in order to either motivate their workers, or provide them with the environment that they need in order to thrive or succeed. There are many different motivational theories that leaders can subscribe to, however, good leaders always seem to be able to work miracles with whatever tools or personnel they are given to work with (or lack thereof). Good leaders understand what the basic needs of their employees are, and help them or allow them to meet those needs. If an employee has the need for achievement, then a good leader will allow them to achieve their goals within reason.
Correctional departments are operated much differently today than they were twenty or thirty years ago. Correctional officers generally used to prescribe to the brute force and intimidation is no longer acceptable tools. Correctional officers oftentimes find themselves stressed by the very nature of the ever evolving and progressing world of politics. Correctional officers often times witness 180 degree shifts in policies overnight, in knee jerk reactions by the correctional facilities in response to something that happened across the country, but which has caught the eye of the nation. The leadership within correctional agencies must find ways in order maintain moral and a functional facility, and yet keep up to fate with changing politics. In order to be successful in this area, leaders must stay ahead of the curve and provide top-notch training to their employees. Those employees who show the strongest desire and who are successful in implementing new methods should be encouraged and allowed to flourish.