Joseph Woodring has been employed in Law Enforcement & Corrections since 1982
His 37 year career was highlighted by serving 5 years as Warden at two Federal prisons. During this time he was responsible for the safety and security in housing some of the nation’s most notorious criminals. Under the jurisdiction of both the Department of Justice and the Department of State, Joe spent 9 months in Baghdad, Iraq, living in the US Embassy and working largely in the red zone. His assignment was to enforce human rights standards Iraqi Correctional Service inmates.
Following 27 years in the Bureau of Prisons, he retired in October 2009. In November 2009, Joseph began a second career with the GEO Group, the world’s leader in private Corrections, as the Vice President of Internal Affairs. After a 9 year career with GEO, Joseph retired in July, 2018. Joseph now works as a consultant and lecturer.
Areas of Expertise
Contact
☎ CONTACT
theprisonmovieguy@gmail.com
(818) 275-2477
Prisons MANAGEMENT
You cannot manage a prison behind a desk. You must trust your staff to do their job; and the importance of trust through verification. Be a great listener. Don't hurry to make any decision unless you absolutely need to. Not all inmates lie and not all staff tell the truth. Be sure discipline is fair and consistent. In addition to the importance of respect, the words/phrases, "Please", "Thank you", and "Excuse me", are essential and can save your life.
Prisons
Working in prison, I learned to motivate staff and inmates. I learned that a leader is so much more than a manager or supervisor. It is much more important to be trusted and respected than to be liked or feared.
INTERROGATION techniques
Good interviewing techniques should never involve intimidation methods as those are most likely learned from movies or television. Those media reflect the worst techniques. People are most likely to confess difficult truths to those they trust and respect. Important aspects of an investigative interview include the interviewer's hygiene; the interviewer's choice of words and tone; and the interview environment.
CORRECTIONAL officers conduct
I've supervised over one-thousand staff and had oversight over many thousand more. Staff are your front line with the inmates. Be sure they receive ongoing training and strong supervision and management. It is important they present professionally to all. They need to know their image is important 24/7/365. Check on them daily, show them you care and that what they do is important to the safe running of the facility. Reward them informally with words; formally with public acknowledgement and awards.
Inmate CONDUCT
As a Bureau of Prison’s staff member, you must always remember you are working in a predatory environment. Still, you must learn the most important word in the correctional environment: RESPECT. Respect is a two-way street. If you give respect, you get it back. You cannot present as either weak or as a "tough-guy." Both lead to difficulty in performing your job.
prison SECURITY
Prison security is more than physical barriers and snitch wire; it is about vigilant staff. Intelligence gathering should be creative and ongoing. With high levels of sanitation come high levels of institution security and safety. As a warden, do not have a routine that is known to all. Show up at unexpected hours; show up on weekends and holidays. Show your staff you don't mind getting your hands dirty; lead a shakedown, participate in pat searching. Use your segregation unit. Don't skimp on razor wire.
“Don’t tell me, show me.”
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