Last week was National Correctional Officers and Employees Week, and OCSEA President Chris Mabe took the time to honor the Corrections employees who keep Ohio safe and put their lives on the line each and every day.
In a Columbus Dispatch editorial, Pres. Mabe said he would "put his money" on state of Ohio corrections employees any day, and that it's time they get the recognition they deserve.
"Every day our state corrections officers and juvenile corrections officers walk a beat that few others will. They see things in real time that most people only see on cable television," said Mabe. And despite the struggles that come with the job, said Mabe, "Ohio’s corrections officers go to work every day and make their profession and our state workforce proud." Read the letter in its entirety below:
Letter: Correction officers vital and deserve recognition (Columbus Dispatch, May 14, 2019)
Every day our state corrections officers and juvenile corrections officers walk a beat that few others will. They see things in real time that most people only see on cable television. They witness or experience violence every day.
This constant threat of violence takes a substantial toll on corrections officers’ lives. They’re at a higher risk for depression, PTSD and suicide, and the average life expectancy of a corrections officer is only 59 years.
Despite this, Ohio’s corrections officers go to work every day and make their profession and our state workforce proud. They fulfill a mission that is one of the most critical in our society: taking away the freedom of those who harm us. Yet, they’re also empowered with the responsibility of helping felons put their lives back together. And they do so with compassion and respect while honoring our correctional field.
National Correctional Officers and Employees Week is held in the first full week in May, and this year’s ended Saturday.
Corrections has always taken a back seat to other law enforcement professions. But I’ll put my money on state of Ohio corrections employees any day. It’s about time they got the recognition they deserve.
Christopher Mabe, president, Ohio Civil Service Employees Association, Columbus