Michele is a frequent viewer of 鈥淟aw & Order,鈥� particularly the 鈥淪pecial Victims Unit鈥� spinoff. But while she loves the show, something about it really bugs her.
鈥淚nevitably, when they go to Rikers Island jail, they show a guard manhandling the prisoners and speaking to them in a degrading fashion,鈥� Michele says. 鈥淵ou wouldn鈥檛 do this to another human being.鈥�
Michele says this portrayal is inaccurate 鈥� and as a former corrections deputy who worked in prisoner transport, she鈥檇 know. One of her goals as coordinator of Delta College鈥檚 corrections program is to give students and the public a reality check.
鈥淚 try to erase the television nonsense and teach what corrections is actually about 鈥� working with people who have made mistakes,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 deescalating situations with communication. It鈥檚 how even a small female can work with hardened felons and dangerous people.鈥�
Today鈥檚 corrections officers 鈥� and others in criminal justice jobs 鈥� are equipped to communicate this way. They get the training they need through programs like Michele鈥檚.
鈥淚n addition to areas like criminal science, psychology and sociology, we deal a lot with the U.S. Constitution, citizens鈥� rights and due
A Bright Future in Corrections
Even before she began teaching, Michele knew Delta was a great place to get started in criminal justice.
鈥淚 came here as a student with no idea what I wanted to do,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 took a law enforcement class out of curiosity, and I fell in love with it. Before long I had an associate鈥檚 degree and was working with the Bay County Sherriff鈥檚 Office.鈥�
A co-worker encouraged Michele to take an instructor position at Delta, saying she鈥檇 be a great teacher. Now, Michele sees students come into her classroom in the same position she鈥檇 been in years ago.
The faculty鈥檚 real-life corrections experience is one of the reasons students enjoy the program. Michele proudly points out that all of Delta鈥檚 corrections instructors have 鈥渨orn the uniform,鈥� which is not the case at every school.
Students can obtain the vocational certificate in corrections and begin working right away, or go on to obtain an associate鈥檚 degree. State and local correctional facilities are looking to fill 鈥渉undreds of jobs,鈥� Michele says.
鈥淭he corrections field is about deescalating situations with communication. It鈥檚 how even a small female can work with hardened felons and dangerous people.鈥�
Associate Professor of Corrections
And thanks to the reality check they get in Delta鈥檚 program, they will know exactly
what to expect.
鈥淎 lot of corrections work is done behind the scenes, so there isn鈥檛 an accurate view of it,鈥� she says. 鈥淚n these jobs, we speak to people like people. We emphasize that over and over again in the program.鈥�
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