The Shakedown by National Institute for Jail Operations (NIJO)
Episodes
77 episodes
Episode 27: Generational Perspective
Regardless of our level of responsibility, corrections officers are leaders. As we move up in the “chain of command”, part of our responsibility is to “inspire” those we are leading to follow us. There is a great deal out there abou...
Episode 26: Correctional Wellness #2
Warden Dawson and special guest, Barbara Gould continue the “wellness” conversation by confronting the difficult topic of physical health. The Corrections profession always seems to focus on “getting the job done” and sometimes at great c...
Episode 25: Correctional Wellness #1
Warden Dawson and special guest Barbara Gould begin a much needed-discussion about officer wellness. We preach “care, control, and custody” with emphasis on the inmate population, but what about taking care of ourselves? The discuss...
Episode 24: Surviving the Mental Chess Game #4
Warden Dawson and Sean Stewart close out this series by providing some practical steps that Corrections supervisors and leaders can take to help protect their employees. There are valid and effective safeguards that will protect them, if ...
Episode 23: Surviving the Mental Chess Game #3
Warden Dawson and Sean Stewart discuss the easy pitfall of being swayed by our interaction with inmates to take it personally. Many of these inmates have made a lifestyle out of influencing and conning people. We MUST keep our guard...
Episode 22: Surviving the Mental Chess Game #2
The conversation continues with Warden Dawson and Sean Stewart talking about the danger of favors. “Give and take” is a cultural norm that can be an effective tool. It can also be a dangerous tool if favors are offered or received t...
Episode 21: Surviving the Mental Chess Game #1
Warden Dawson and special guest Sean Stewart begin a 4-part series on the mental factors in play while being a Corrections Officer. In this episode, they discuss contraband and how we as Corrections Officers can get pulled into the trap o...
Episode 20: Conflict Management Techniques #4
Warden Dawson and Dr. Sampson wrap up their discussion of Conflict Management by discussing the importance of emotion in resolving conflict. Emotions are a powerful force that can work to our benefit or our detriment. They discuss h...
Episode 19: Conflict Management Techniques #3
In the third episode of the Conflict Management Technique Series, Warden Dawson and guest Dr. Steve Sampson look at some practical skills that can help us bring down the intensity of a situation, if not avoid it altogether. These skills a...
Episode 18: Conflict Management Techniques #2
Warden Dawson and Dr. Sampson continue the conversation about conflict by looking at some more internal causes of conflict. Each of us needs to be aware of these facts as we consider and prepare for conflict that may come about in our dai...
Episode 17: Conflict Management Techniques #1
Warden Dawson is joined by Dr. Steve Sampson to discuss his upcoming book and subsequent training. Conflict is a part of life and can be either good or bad. Warden Dawson and Dr. Sampson discuss some of the facts and causes of confl...
Episode 16: Technology in Jails
There is a lot of interest in utilizing more and more technology in jails, specifically as it relates to inmates. Kiosks, communication devices, tablets, etc. Are they beneficial? Are there areas of concern? Is technolog...
Episode 15: Officer Survival - Balance
In the final episode in the series on Officer Survival, Warden Dawson and special guest Lt. Moats discuss finding balance in our work and home life. Corrections is what we do, not who we are. We may be proud of what we do, it may be...
Episode 14: Officer Survival - Dealing With A Crisis
Continuing the series about Officer Survival, Warden Dawson discusses “Dealing with a Crisis”. You have a group of people in a building/facility 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, things are going to happen. Its not a question of “if”, ...
Episode 13: Officer Survival - Dealing With Stress
Corrections is a difficult profession, and the limited number of people that stay in the career for a long time demonstrates that. Why is that? What is it that is causing qualified people to not stay with it? This series is de...
Episode 12: Eight Things Your Communication Should Consist Of
This episode concludes Warden Aaron Dawson's discussion on communication. This week he goes over the eight things your communication should consist of. He shares personal experiences illustrating how each of these principles is prov...
Episode 11: Observing, Listening, & Learning
Continuing our discussion from last week on cultivating good communication skills, Warden Aaron Dawson asks us to consider how we communicate. This means how we observe the situation, how we actively listen, and then how we learn from the...
Episode 10: Mastering the Ability to Communicate
In our 10th episode, Warden Aaron Dawson discusses why the ability to communicate is such an essential skill, especially in corrections. He reflects on stories from World War II and shares personal examples helping to illustrate dif...
Episode 9: K-9 Drug Interdiction Program
In this exciting, new episode three officers from the Chelan County Regional Jail in Washington call into the podcast to share how they combatted a serious contraband problem in their jail by implementing a very successful K-9 program. Th...
Episode 8: How to Write a Good Report, Even If You're Not a Good Writer
Warden Aaron Dawson wraps up our discussion on good report writing in this episode. Warden Dawson discuss how you can make sure you write a good report, even if you don't consider yourself a good writer. He gives seven questions that ever...
Episode 7: Making Time for Report Writing
In this episode, Warden Dawson continues to discuss the importance of good report writing. Good report writing is more than just good writing, it's about when you write the report. Copyright 2022. National Institut...
Episode 6: The Importance of Good Report Writing
In this episode, Warden Dawson talks about a topic that is disliked by many, but critical in this profession to master: report writing. Warden Dawson shares real-life experiences illustrating the importance of good report writing and how ...
Episode 5: Use of Force and the Importance of Documentation
In this episode, Warden Dawson, continues the topic he's covered during the past two podcasts and finishes off with the importance of documentation when force is used. (Published June 1, 2022)Copyright 2022. National...
Episode 4: Use of Force and the Law
In this episode of The Shakedown, Warden Dawson continues the discussion of Use of Force. In Episode 3, he discussed the fact that corrections professionals do have liability in how force is used in detention facilities. In...
Episode 3: Use of Force and Liability
In the next three episode of The Shakedown, Warden Dawson will be covering the important topic of Use of Force. In this episode we'll specifically consider the liability that goes along with using force in a detention facility. &...
