I really enjoyed having the superintendent of the Jail Ronda Guyton come in and talk to us for the class. She has a nice way of talking to people. When I hear her talking it’s easy to relate to her or at least feel like what she is talking about could be happening to us during our careers. I think the last thing that I learned that I am going to mention first is that she is the first black female to oversee the jail and keep everything running smoothly. That shows what her character and work ethic is like. After seeing the jail during the tour and seeing how it is ran and now hearing someone talk about what goes on in there twice now I can see that she is doing a great job at her job as superintendent. Today specifically was nice to be able to get a good review of what goes on there and really absorb everything again, and to be able to hear it from the one who knows it best. Seeing all of the jobs that corrections is in charge of is really cool with a lot of different types of jobs involved in that unit. It was really encouraging to hear her say a few times that she is always hiring and giving advice on when to start applying and what the whole process looks like. These situations are good to so that in the future you will be able to see her and already know who she is and get a little bit of a foot in the door. I haven’t ever really thought about conducting a strip search before, and what that all entailed but she painted a very vivid picture of what all went on. The job of a correctional officer is very dirty and dangerous and you have to be on your A game at all times. She talked about how using your voice will get you a lot farther in this career. Being able to de-escalate a situation before someone resorts to violence is what officers have to be able to do in order to keep things under control. One thing that I have started to notice through her speaking today is that you don’t always have to go off and get the big paperwork like she was saying there at the end to have a good career. Just a GED or High school diploma is what is needed for an entry level with her team, and an associates is plenty of qualification to become a correctional officer and that is nice to know that after we get done here and get our degrees our jobs could be starting. I think that anyone that would be interested in working in the prison should talk to her and hear about what she talked about today because it would be very helpful to know what you’re getting in to and have a head start going in to training. Wings123
I thought the mention about the GED and high school diploma was neat. Also, how she was talking about how people do not need a big fancy degree in criminal justice to be considered smart and outstanding. For example, she was talking about her friend that works with her and how he only had a high school diploma, yet whenever she needs help with numbers and statistics she calls upon him to aid her. -MickSwagger123
I agree with the talking thing. That plays a big role because they cant have anything in there but themselves and their mouths and being on some one bad side would not be pretty. Also, about the GED problem, its really nice that they care about their future and don't want them sitting in there doing the same thing with the same mindset. i love that they help people, its a good look on them and shows other departments what is good to do. -babyblue123
I thought that starting out with her resume and they type of work she's put in throughout her career really set the tone and showed what her work ethic is like and how she's gotten to where she is in Peoria County. I agree that she did a really good job informing us about the communication skills that we need to be able to perform that job as a correctional officer. She also was very real and straight up with the class about what the job is like, for example whenever dealing with someone that is being booked on drug charges, the type of searching you have to perform as a corrections officer. She didn't sugarcoat any of it which was a nice change of pace when explaining what it's like to work as a corrections officer.
Today in class, I thought was another unique and nice perspective in terms of the criminal justice career. The class, instead of being taught by Professor White, was approached by Ronda Guyton. Ronda Guyton was the first African American woman to be ranked as Captain at the Peoria County Jail. She had a commencement in front of many people including her family and colleagues, and this achievement was a pretty big step forward in the right direction. Ronda grew up in Peoria and was even living in the Harrison Homes on the South end. With that being said, she knows the community and has an understanding with the community that some other people may not have. Not only that, but Ronda also served in the military and so she has a good degree of self-respect and just respect in general and that was evident in her presentation this morning as she even said that respect was something that needed to be shown to all inmates. Guyton also has a degree which is not always needed, but certainly is helpful because it can give some insight in some particular instances. What Ronda Guyton was talking about today in class was basically how to become a correctional officer and some of expectations that come with the job and what correctional officers do at the Peoria County Jail. I thought that it was neat that the County Jail offers Tuition Reimbursement because I did not know that they would do that. Some of the other things that Ronda was talking about in the classroom today was some of the layout of the County Jail. For instance, she stated that even though they have a couple of gyms, the inmates are currently not allowed to use them because of issues that they have had in the past. Another thing that was discussed was how many freedoms and restrictions the inmates had. For example, the inmates are only allowed to do laundry twice a week. A thing that I liked about the Peoria County Jail is that there are classrooms that help educate the inmates so that when they do get released, they are less likely to commit the same crime. That is another reason why Ronda Guyton is cool; she strives to get mental health professionals to help with inmates who have mental health issues. I definitely think that Ronda Guyton getting her rank was a step in the right direction and I hope to see some great changes occur while she is still working. -MickSwagger123
I did like all the different programs that the Peoria County Jail offered for their inmates. They have numerous reentry programs and I really like the Jobs of Partnership one that the superintendent was talking about. Also the education that our facility gives their inmates is quite amazing compared to other jails across our nation. Many people even still today believe that we should lock up these people and throw away the key and forget about them. That is not the humane way nor is that what the United States of America wants to do because it cost to much money and we are only trillions of dollars in debt but that's no big problem. NDIrish123.
Having the Peoria County Jail superintendent come in and talk to us today was amazing. In this career you may hear the same thing one hundred times and not even know it because everyone is saying it differently. Having the superintendent come in and speak today was great for a number of reasons. One and probably the biggest reason is that it shows diversity in the law enforcement/criminal justice workforce. It shows that women can hold "rank" and move on up to those high paying jobs like superintendent. It also shows that minorities can do it also. Both of these are huge issues now and will continue to be big issues into the future of the world and how policing will evolve. Not every job in the United States of America can be dominated by white males, nor should it be that way. We need a diverse culture in the workforce to accurately represent those people in which we serve. Having the superintendent come in and speak also shows many people there is a lot more things to do in the law enforcement/criminal justice/corrections field other than being a cop. Now for me being on the tours through the Peoria County Jail and listening to the Sheriff and the Jail Superintendent it has really opened my eyes to what I may want to do since I am coming near to the end in my schooling with me graduating in May and then going to Eureka College to finish my four year degree. I am each day looking for more and more places that are hiring in this field of work and I am getting ideas where I may apply when that time comes and as of now the Peoria County Sheriff's Department is a sure bet I will apply when the time comes. One thing that surprised me about the Peoria County Jail is that they will hold inmates from other facility for a period of time like the superintendent said with the Pekin Federal Prison. She mentioned that they just received their female inmates back which were being held at a separate facility. This I did not know before. I did know that they would hold federal inmates for extradition back to that prison but I was unaware of the holding of inmates that were previously at a prison facility. Also with Peoria County Jail being the eighth largest in the state of Illinois and for them to hold all the accreditation's that they do I would like to visit numerous other jails throughout our state and compare and contrast and see how much more different those jails are and see those differences and look at the crime rates in those areas and do a study possibly on how much better your jail is if it effects crime and how and see if it even stops certain offenders from re offending again. You could also look at the recidivism rates of the different jails and then see how many of those inmates stop their in their criminal life and they go out and get a job and continue to better themselves and their lives. NDIrish123.
I agree with you- it was great having the opportunity to listen to what Ronda Guyton had to say and about what you said as far as diversity in this field of work goes. She's living proof that women of a diverse culture can not only hold a position of authority, but do so successfully. I am also interested in finding other positions that offer tuition reimbursement programs in this field of work, so we are on the same page as far as that goes. Hearing her speak about the jail and how they are so often hiring really made me strongly consider applying in the near future for the tuition reimbursement, the experience, and the great benefits. Hoagie123
Today in class I really enjoyed listening and having the superintendent of the jail Ronda Guyton come in talk to our class. To start out I think it is amazing that Ronda is the first African American woman to oversee the jail. I think it proves that if you have a dream you can accomplish it. To be able to talk to someone who achieved the rank of captain at the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office is awesome. To hear her background and how she knew she wanted to be a cop and she ended up doing what she wanted to do in life. Ronda grew up in Peoria, IL. Knowing that she knows how to communicate with the community and understands with the community that other people may not have. Ronda also served in the Military before serving in the reserves. That is when she began working at the jail. 2 years in she ranked up to bigger and better things. In today’s class things I learned from listening to Ronda speak today really gave me an eye opener on the jobs that correctional officers do and everyone else that works in a jail. I think that I learned today in class is how officers have to have great communication skills because working as a correctional officer you only have two things when you step in a pod keys and a radio. You got to be able to communicate to the inmates to stop the situation at hand. Communication is key. Another thing I learned that Ronda talked about was how to respect the people who are incarcerated because some people are only in jail because of a traffic ticket per say and you don’t wanna get treated badly because of that. Respect is the major key. If you respect the inmates you’re most likely to get respect back from them. Furthermore another thing I loved hearing was that even though these inmates are in jail they can further better themselves for when they get out. For example they can take a GED program to get there GED so they will at least have something to look forward to get out. I also liked how she talked about the job programs how it is a class that helps them build and write a resume, a cover letter, how to talk during a interview and ect. I love how she said they work with the programs where even if they are still only in there 3rd week of the program and they get out they can still go back and finish the program and not have to just forget about it. To know that people are willing to help these released inmates get back on their feet again so they don’t end up back in jail is absolutely fantastic. I love that Ronda strives to get the inmates the help they need. For example if they need help getting a job because there sentences are almost over, or helping with mental illness patients or helping people get there education so when they get out the can further themselves. Ronda is overall and inspiring person and I’m so happy we got to listen to her speak today. Smile123
I think that good she was the first African American woman to oversee the jail. I think that good to treat people with respect because you can't just think them as inmates. Here proof someone who grew up from Peoria and doing something good and she want be cop and she did . With out any learning you will fail why you need some kind knowledge because you will be lost with out. This was very good speech today because i learn a lot from this. -panthers123
I like the point you brought up when you referenced her serving in the military. I forgot to mention that in my own paper but thought that that is an honorable service for her country and once again it speaks to who she is as a person. She is willing to work hard for what she wants and never give up on her goals. I think She is an inspiration for anyone looking to go into the criminal justice field, and can show that even though things may not always be easy along the way that it will definitely be worth it in the end. Wings123
I completely agree with how amazing it is that she was the first African American woman to oversee the Peoria County Jail. I think that accomplishment alone will push not only African American woman but all woman to push harder and go beyond their comfort zones to reach their own goals. I think it is absolutely honorable of her to serve in the service. Mrs. Guyton serving in the military and overcoming these kinds of obstacles is awesome and definitely hits home as someone who has also served in the military. Being a woman and reaching these goals give other woman someone to look up to. UofM123
today was good to hear from Ronda Guyton I really listen to her because, what all she has done during her career. What I like the most is when she said you don't treat these inmates different because at the end of the day these people are not no different. It’s the way you talk to them because a lot times the corrections people think they are better than everyone. She also grew up on the South end she want to make different and help people and she want to be a cop and she did that. I know it was not easy because a lot people don't like the cops. She also wants help those who don't know what to do when they get out like a lot them don't have nowhere to turn for work. IF you want to be cop I think deal with corrections can help you get when you out there if you can’t talk these people how you are going act when you out there. Mental health is hedge problem special in prison because these days don’t think can live no ore. The only weapons you need in there will help is the radio and the most important is your mouth because if you like treat them bad and I don’t think this job is for you at all. The more education you have the better chance you be ready out in the real world. The more education these inmates have will help them like if you are defended your self have be ready for it. A lot these inmates don’t believe in them self that got e ready when going to court. I know about if you were on trial I thought you only had certain time, but I learned that not the case because you can be in jail as long when the trail is over than you get sentences. I know about the power test because before I got into the criminal justice I look into it and I know how it work. You must be in shaped depends on your age and if you are a guy or women. The reason why I want to be cop not just help people want to make different in people life’s because I want show people you can do anything if you put your mind to it. I am happy to see more women in pekin jail now we just get more women in prison who be a cop its kind hard because they may be scared however they can make different for other women just need to step up. Some of the thing you need be if you want a correction officer is one have be at last 21 years old. Also, have taken a written test those are just some of the thing but however she is someone people can look up and I have learned a lot from today class. IT give some things to think about if I ever want be interested in corrections. -Panthers123
Yes this was a great learning experience and these inmates who may have done one mistake are just the same as we are at the end of the day and we need to see that, which is something I think the jail does very well by having the new hires start out as being correctional officers instead of just sending them straight to the streets. When she said the only weapon you have when in the pods in a radio, I got a little worried, but then I realized that was because they are trying to train you to be able to communicate with someone and they want to see how you can handle these types of situations. Illini123
The presentation Ronda Guyton gave was really informing. In the article they introduced Mrs., Guyton saying Guyton, a 24-year veteran of the office, beamed as she was sworn in by Sheriff Brian Asbell. Also sworn in was Carmisha Turner, an 11-year veteran who will be the new deputy superintendent at the jail. The changes are a result of Michael McCoy resigning as sheriff to become the new police chief in Washington. Asbell, the former head jailer, was appointed to be McCoy’s replacement. She was able to explain to us everything that goes down in the jail house and even gave us extra information about things we don’t really know. For example, she mentions the head count and that they have to count everything in the jail before anything happens next. I found that interesting because that’s a lot of responsibility to take care of people your dealing with a lot of people. They also have count all the supplies in the lunch room and the janitors have to count there supplies as well. She mentioned that a County Corrections is unsentenced inmates, no longer than 364 days in the jail, and pretrial confinement. For State/Federal Corrections it says they are sentenced, can be in there for 365 days to life, and is built to house long term. Another thing I found interesting is it cost about $80 a day to house them. that’s a lot of money per day they have to get through. I wonder is it includes their food and certain activities. For the qualification of a Correction officer, you have to be at least 21, a high school degree or equivalent, a resident of Peoria County, and able to pass a physical ability test and many more test. When officers go into the jail they cannot have anything on them. Their only weapon is the mouth, they have to be able to talk to them and calm them down with what they say to them. To me that can be very dangerous because anything can happen in the jail house. You never know what they can use on you. The good thing about this is the Peoria County Jail does not have many Murdering cases in there most of them is for little offense like traffic ticket or didn’t pay a fine fee. She also mentions that they like to get different things in the jail. The good thing I like is that there is an opportunity that they can have a job when they get out of there. Everyone knows that its hard getting a job when you get locked up. But with them they want you to change your life around and get you on the right track. Which is what I am trying to do with becoming a Probation Officer. I wouldn’t mind working there because it seems like everything is in order and they have the right mindset of those people being in there because they don’t have to care about their lives but they do and that means a lot. -babyblue123
I agree that is a lot of money that they have to keep them in there for 80 dollars a day. That adds up everyday and if they are in there for a dumb cause then it isnt worth the 80 dollars a day. We should limit the people that are in there so its not so expensive a day. Conrad123
Today in class was a great learning day because we had Ronda Guyton come in who is the superintendent at the Peoria County Jail. It was great to listen and learn about all the work the jail does and how good the jail is to work at. When she was talking about all the positions they have at the jail, I never knew there were so many different types of jobs and there are some that do not require having to go to the police academy to learn how to do that job. One thing that I liked is how they have almost all their new employees start in the jail and they have to show that they can communicate before they can actually go out into the public and have a weapon that can easily kill someone. Many of us know that working for a county, the backup closest could be 20 miles away and the officer could be around 10 different people. Officers need to know how to handle the situation and make sure they can de-escalate it they have to by not using a gun and just being able to talk to the suspect. She also talked about how she wants the guards to show respect to the offenders, because some of the people who are in there may only be in there because they didn’t pay a traffic ticket and then they got a warrant for their arrest. When she was talking about hiring new employees and she said that you needed just a high school diploma or GED, but need to be at least 21 years of age. She also said that one of the smartest men she has working for her has no college education, which shows that some people are just better off not going to college and are able to be smart without spending all of their money. She also said that they give college reimbursement, but you have to stay employed with them for at least two years after you graduate, which is smart because if someone goes to college for a business degree, and gets it paid for, then they just decide to leave, the jail just spent all that money on someone and they will not be getting any of the benefits of that person. She was also talking about all the programs that the jail offers to the inmates and how all of the people are volunteer and are willing to try and help these people get back on their feet. When she was talking about some of the inmates getting out and going to get jobs, she said that they can put the jail down as a reference, which I think is neat because it shows that the jail is all about rehabilitation and not just locking people up for life. I thought that today's class was great and was a great learning experience for everybody. Illini123
I also like how superintendent Rhonda Guyton mentioned that a person yes has to be 21, but also that they can actually be hired when they are twenty years old. They just have to be the age of twenty-one when they go to the jailing academy. She mentioned that if any of us did apply when we were twenty to apply about four months or so before we turned twenty-one because the hiring process does take a little while to complete. Which I thought was a very nice of piece of information to know because that is what I am planning on doing and was nice to know that I can apply before I am twenty-one. Trojan123
Ronda Guyton was an excellent speaker and I very much enjoyed getting to hear what she had to say. I think it really is amazing that she was the first African American woman to become superintendent of the jail because it says a lot about her personality and goals. She didn’t care if someone else of her gender/race had had the job previously, but that didn’t deter her from striving toward her goal of becoming the superintendent. After hearing her lecture, I am strongly considering starting off with a position at the Peoria County Jail, largely because it is great experience and because of the school loan repayment program. I think it's great that they pay a percentage of your school loans back based on what grade you got in each class. Before hearing that, I was happy with getting a’s or b’s in my courses, but now I will strive even harder to get that A because I would love for them to pay the full amount for as many of my classes as possible. The only deterrent I am worried about as far as becoming a corrections officer was having to look in lots of butts, as childish as that sounds. I know she said it’s not for the faint of heart, which I’m not, but it still does not sound like much fun- especially on a weekend like Scamp when 30+ people are typically brought in. I believe starting off at the jail would give me great experience and help teach me how to interact better with people on the street, just like Ronda said. Something that surprised me was that they do have two complete gyms in the jail, but the inmates are currently not allowed to even use them. Maybe my opinion was just based off of movies, but I thought every prison kind of had to allow their prisoners to workout in a gym because there’s just so little for them to do and to keep their minds busy. Although my opinion on this changed when Ronda spoke about previous problems they’ve had in the gyms and with how much else they’ve added, like barber school and GED programs, to give the prisoners the tools they’ll need to succeed once released. Something that stood out to me was that your biggest tool/weapon as a corrections officer in the prison was your voice and communication skills. If you don’t treat the prisoners with respect, there will be opportunities for them to take some kind of action on you when they know it will be at least fifteen minutes before anyone notices you’re missing. This is huge to me because these communication skills are things I need to practice in order to become the best cop I can be. She also mentioned that when you’re extremely outnumbered, your voice is going to be your best tool because you must deescalate the situation as quickly as possible because one person just simply cannot take on 30-40 inmates and win, let alone come out unscathed. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed Ronda’s lecture and wouldn’t mind hearing her speak again. Hoagie123
Having superintendent of the jail Rhonda Guyton come into the class and talk the other day was very enjoyable. She is a very good speaker. First to mention about her that I thought was cool was that she is the first black women to ever oversea the jail. Which is running very smoothly. This just shows her as a person and what her work ethic is like. I could tell that she is very qualified for her position and that she is very dedicated to her job. I have been on the jail tour twice now and those both times I have went I learn something new every time. When she came in and talked to our class I learned even more about the jail. I love hearing about when she talks about the hiring process and what it takes to work at the county jail. I learned that the only qualifications that are needed is that a person either has to have a high school diploma or GED. I also learned that if a person decided to do further schooling that they will reimburse you. But they won't reimburse you obviously if you are failing on the of the classes. But the better grades that a person has the more they will pay for. Which I thought was very beneficial to a person. The other things that a person had to do to get hired was to be the age of twenty-one by the time they got sent to the academy. They also needed to pass a oral interview, polygraph, written test and the physical test. I also loved hearing how they are always hiring and that she hired twelve people in the last seven months. It was also really cool to see all the different types of jobs a person can get at the jail rather than just a jailer. These jobs are records, administration, and they also have a maintenance crew that works at the jail. When a person knows that someone works in the jail they automatically think that they are a jailer, but that is not always the case. They even have a medical staff, dentist, and even a person dealing with mental illness. She also mentioned on what it was really like to work as a corrections officer. She mentioned that is not for the faint hearted, that you will have to conduct strip searches and some people just cannot to that. She mentioned the different difficulties that a person would face being in this line of work that most people do not think of. She also mentioned that a person's best weapon in the jail is there voice. She said that a person will need to learn how to de-escalate a situation with there words. Which is a big part of being a correctional officer. I would tell anyone who is thinking about working in the field of corrections to talk to superintendent Rhonda Guyton first to get a first hand account by the person who knows it best on what actually goes on and what a person would actually be doing if they work in the jail. Trojan123
I agree with what you said about her being the first black woman to oversea the jail reflecting on the type of person Ronda is. It takes someone extremely strong minded to be able to work in that kind of setting, especially a female. I also agree that the grading system is very beneficial. She said that if you receive a D you won’t be reimbursed which I think is very fair. Most college classes you aren’t allowed to get a D in so I think it should be the same way in the jails. I agree that Ronda is a special woman and I’m glad we got to listen to her talk. Cheer123
Having Ronda Guyton come in and talk to our class was a great experience. I love not having to learn from the textbook or just doing powerpoints everyday. I think Ronda did a really great job presenting all the different job opportunities and systems about the jail that make everything run smoothly. I thought it was very interesting that they do 3 counts a day. These counts include everything in the jail from tools to kitchen knives. This is awesome and makes for a very safe jail and also helps to keep the community safe as well. I thought it was interesting that Peoria County is the 8th largest jail in the state of Illinois because I thought, size wise, it was pretty large. It would be scary working in a jail that's 10 times the size of Peoria County with guys 10 times the size of me. Working in the jail would be a very hard job and I give major props to everyone that does it. It’s definitely not a job that just anyone could do and it takes a lot of courage to be able to go into pods with no weapon or anything to defend yourself if things go south. Ronda said that it would take someone 15 minutes before anyone realized you didn’t come out of the pod if something were to happen and that’s terrifying. I thought it was cool when Ronda was saying that education is important, but it’s not everything. That’s so true in today’s world. There are many people I know that work super hard at what they do and are some of the smartest people I’ve ever met, but don’t have a degree and got very bad grades in school. School isn’t for everyone and I love that there are jobs out there that don’t hold it against you or think your work will reflect how well you did in school because that isn’t even the half of it. I liked hearing about all the different types of jobs that are available within the jail that isn’t just a correctional officer that most people believe. I always thought it was like the movies where you only have correctional officers and a nurse on duty. I also wasn’t aware that the nurses go through different types of training than nurses who work in the hospitals. I think that’s extremely important because those nurses need to know how to deal with inmates and be able to deescalate a situation if needed to be. Ronda Guyton is a very intelligent woman and is someone I look up to. It’s not an easy job to be a woman working in a jail where men, and women, are catcalling you and harrassing you. You have to be strong willed and not let your guard down ever. There's never a day where you can go to work and have the mindset that it’s going to be an “average” day. No day is average and you always have to expect the worst. Cheer123
I also thought it was a great experience being able to have Ronda come in and talk to us about everything that she does and the different job opportunities that are available. I didn't know that they had to do 3 counts a day for every tool and knife that they use in the jail cell. The details that she said about how it would take 15 minutes for someone to realize that you didn't come out of the pod for counts is terrifying, especially walking around with nothing to defend yourself but like Ronda said, and that our professor talks about your biggest weapon is your mouth and the way you communicate. As long as you can communicate and have respect but also making sure your boundaries are set and known about, then you would be fine. I also like how she said about how you don't have to have a degree to work there, because like you said and she also said, school isn't for everyone, but they still give out job opportunities for the ones that don't have the desire to go to school. I also didn't know that the nurses that work there are trained fully for working with inmates. I also agree how you said that you have to be strong willed and not let your guard down while working in this career field because like you had said you have to always be aware of the worse that could happen and be fully ready to handle every situation that comes your way in this career.Motocross123
On Tuesday, we had a speaker come into the class. The speaker was Ronda Guyton. She works at the Peoria County Jail as a superintendent. She was the first African American woman to become a superintendent at the jail. She was in the military. When she got out she became a police officer. She told the class she has 5 years left. I thought it was interesting that the jail is the 8th largest jail in Illinois. The three functions in the jail is records, administration and corrections. Records mean that the jail maintains the inmates’ records. Administration means the jail manage programs for the inmates. Lastly corrections mean the jail provides care for the inmates. She told us the qualifications to work at the jail as a correctional officer. The person must be 21 years of age, have a high school degree or a college degree, pass BCO, agility, written, polygraph test, pass medical examination, and test as required. When she showed the high archery, correctional superintendent is at the top. The jail has a 24-hour medical person in the building. Also, they have a 60-hour mental health officer who check on the inmates. They must have a headcount 3 times a day. The inmates can go out side in the yard only of it is nice outside. The inmates have a library/ law time. The jail lets people take tours in the building. Some of the programs that the jail has is church, GED, JP, food, and Rick’s crew. They are also thinking about yoga. I thought she did a great job with her speech. --softball123
Having SuperIntendent Ronda Guyton speak to the class was a really informative opportunity. Superintendant Guyton went quite in depth with how the jail is run and who in the jail has certain responsibilities. When I personally think of a county jail the first and really only thing I think of are the inmates who are serving their time and the correctional officers. Mrs. Guyton showed us that there are so many more positions that make up the Peoria County Jail. Each with responsibilites that help contribute to the jail running like clockwork. She did a good job of explaining what the main functions of the jail are. Her resopnosibilites as superintendent were managing the department programs, administering the budget, as well as managing personnel records. As someone that is looking to start out in corrections to get into the criminal justice field, superintendant Guyton was very helpful with giving advice on how to get a job as a correctional officer as well as informing us of what it takes to be a correctional officer. Similarly to being a police officer, as a corrections officer, your ability to communicate is going to dictate how well or not so well you do your job. As a correctional officer you have to be able to communicate effectively with people from all sorts of different backgrounds. Correctional officers are not armed with any weapons lethal or non-lethal, their only weapon is their radio to call for help and their voice to communicate and de-escelate the situation. Mrs. Guyton was also very informative about what the requirements are to become a correctional officer for Peoria County. You must be twenty one and have a high school degree or GED. Although Mrs. Guyton was emphasizing how important a college degree is, she also stressed that at Peoria County, they will always take into consideration if someone has a college degree, but they do not hold it against an applicant if they do not. They look beyond the papers and consider your test scores and interview much more. What is something that I didn't know that Peoria County did, was they have a tuition reimbursement program. You have to agree to work there for at least two years, but for every A letter grade you get, they will cover one hundred percent of your tuition, for ever B you receive, they'll cover eighty percent of that class as well. Not only as an employee for Peoria County are you getting your foot in the door of the field you go to school for, they will pay for your further education which will help you advance in any job you end up having.
I really enjoyed listening and hearing Correctional Superintendent Rhonda Guyton talk and give us details about her job and about the Peoria County Jail. I could tell how much she loves her job and her community, just in the way she presented her self and her enthusiasm while talking about it. I didn't know that she was the first black woman to oversee the jail, that is an accomplishment just in itself. From her stories that she had talked about, I would say she definitely earned her job title. She went into detail about every job title that there is at the jail from records,administration, and corrections. I had also learned the difference from county corrections, and state/federal corrections. County corrections is for un-sentenced inmates that can't be there longer then 364 days and is meant to be for a holding facility and State/Federal corrections is for sentenced inmates, serving 365 days to life and is built for house long term. I am earning my degree to become a correctional officer for the prison, but she was saying how the Peoria County Jail is always hiring and is hiring right now for Correctional Officers, and have us all the requirements for the job, which is having to be 21 years old, have a high school diploma or a GED, has to be a resident in the Peoria County, able to pass the physical agility test, have to attend 5 week BCO training and also have to have successfully complete the 6 week FTO program. She said that you have a year to become a resident for the Peoria County once you start the training, if I lived in Peoria County, I would definitely be applying for a job. She also went into detail on what you will be doing while being a correctional officer and how stressful and busy your day is while at work. One main thing she couldn't stress enough for working at the jail and no matter what your job title is, was to have respect for the inmates. Just because they are in the jail doesn't mean you should treat them like "trash" as she said. The Peoria County jail also offers reimbursement for schooling, which is nice. She also said how that the jail is more then just corrections, it is information technology, had medical 24 hours, has 60 hours of mental health, food services, dental, commissary, and janitorial service. I also had learned that the Peoria County Jail is the 8th largest jail, and it is over 60,000 sq. ft. Having 492 beds, and 328 cells. There are 8 pods, a seg. unit and intake has 3 holding cells and 1 medical unit with 6 cells. I had also learned that they no longer offer gym time because most inmates choose to go outside for their recreational time to get fresh air. Correctional officers has to do a 30 minute count in all of the pods and when they have people that are being held in the holding cells intake, they have to do a every 15 minute check and they also have to fill out a log sheet every time they do their check, which entails having to detail everything, what the inmate is doing, what time you did the check, etc. There is so much that entails in every job title in corrections and there isn't ever an "easy" day while working in corrections. Even though we have learned it already but she also talked about how 60 percent of detainees are dealing with mental health issues. Also told us that it is 80 dollars perday to house inmates and they also house other agencies, male and female. She said that they were housing female inmates that were for the Federal Bureau Prison in Pekin until January when they opened back up their female building. Even though it is a stressful job and so much to it, just listening to Ronda talk about the jobs there and helping her community makes me even more determined to get myself into the career I am wanting to pursue. Motocross123
In class this week we had a guest speaker by the name of Ronda Guyton come and speak to our class. Ronda is the Superintendent of the Correction facility. Personally when I think of jail I think of inmates and jail staff whether it be the officers or the volunteer staff that’s about it. When Ronda spoke to our class it was extremely informative even for those that are not looking to go into that field, or at least didn’t want to prior to Ronda speaking. She spoke very in depth about how the correctional facility works and how inmates and jail staff are not the only parts to a jail. Mrs. Guyton showed and taught us that there are many different avenues of working fields that you can get into with the Peoria County Jail. One of the things that Mrs. Guyton talked about was education. She was very clear about how important education is, but she also talked to us and said that although it would be taken into consideration they do NOT hold it against any person that applies for a job. I was very surprised at also how much she emphasized how one needs communication skills. In today's society it is very easy to be rude and judgmental to the inmates. I completely agreed with Mrs. Guyton when she was telling us how you have to respect others even as an inmate. They are still human and deserve respect. I am a strong believer of if you have not walked in someone else's shoes, you are no one to judge. Some of the inmates as Mrs. Guyton shared with us could be in there for something as small as not paying a fine. A question that a student brought up that I had no idea was that Peoria County Jail has a tuition reimbursement program. The way it works is if you have an A they will cover you one hundred percent. If you have a B they will cover you eighty percent. The other part of this program that I liked and found to agree with was if you decide to use their reimbursement program you basically have to sign a contract that you will be with them for at least two years. I agree with this because it would not be fair to those that take advantage in a good way (furthering their education in criminal justice) for someone who wants to take advantage in a not so good way to get a degree in some other career field and them leave that department. Mrs. Guyton was very professional when speaking to us and you could tell that she was very well educated and knew what she was talking about other than just reading something off of a piece of paper. Mrs. Guyton thoroughly described all the different jobs available within Peoria County Jail and I think it opened a lot of students up to different views and jobs available other than the front paged noticed jobs. UofM123
I thought that Superintendent Guyton’s speech to us was very informative also. SHe did definitely put emphasis on the importance of education and how school is a helpful avenue in a career like this. I do like that she spoke about how someone without an education will also be considered. SHe said that school is not for everyone, and i agree with her completely. Her insight on communication skills was very helpful, and what she said about being able to communicate with the inmates was very true. If we learn to communicate with the inmates, that will definitely help our careers in law enforcement as officers. “Patriots123”
I did not know going into class on Monday that we would get to hear Superintendent Rhonda Guyton speak to our class about the Peoria County Jail. She began by telling us about her journey into law enforcement, and made it very clear that she has had a very successful career. As a woman, she is definitely someone i can look forward to. She had goals set for herself and she achieved them. I really enjoyed the story that she told us about how she was jumping a fence and got stuck. That sounds funny, but it really just made me feel a bit better. It helped show me that each and every person is still learning, and mistakes are going to be made. She was able to move on from that experience and tell future students like me how it influenced her. Not only this, but also the fact that she was very honest with us. She did not sugarcoat things but rather gave us information on the jail and really pushed us to think long and hard if this would be the position for us. She gave us an overview of county versus state corrections, and I did not know some of the differences between the two. It was interesting to hear that although the jail is generally only to be a place where someone is held for less than a year, people waiting for trials can be in there much longer than that. The county generally only holds unsentenced inmates, while the state hold sentenced inmates. ALso, the state was built to hold long-term while the county is established to house more of the short-term. As she continued speaking to us, she went into some of the qualifications that must be met to be a corrections officer. In discussing this with us, she told us that they had to pass a five week field training program. This was very interesting to me because I knew that police officers had to pass field training but i did not know that corrections officers had to also. In describing to us the job of a corrections officer, she made it very clear that this job is not for everyone. Just like being a police officer, there are many situations a corrections officer would have to deal with that most people would not want to. She even went as far as to say that this job is not for the faint of heart. As far as different branches of working at the jail goes, she laid out the three major branches. The first branch being records, which is essentially maintaining jail inmate records and incident report files. The next branch of the jail would be administration. What the administration aims to do is to manage departmental programs and to administer the budget, personnel records, purchasing, and training activities. The third branch of the jail, the one that most think of when they think of a jail, is the corrections. The main goal of corrections is to provide care, custody, and security of inmates. “Patriots123”
Ronda Guyton a very powerful women. She taught me a lot of things I didn't know about her. Walking into class and seeing her was surprising. Our professor brings in a lot of very important and she is one of them. Ronda Guyton the superintendent of a county jail. Yes, she is a women which is also very interesting. She has to walk around that jail with her head up high and her guard always up. I learned a lot on what she said in her speech to the class. I didn't know you could become a correctional officer right out of highschool. That is a huge plus for a lot of people because people don't always end up going to college. One of the main things that caught my interest is she, was talking about college isn't for everyone. That caught my interest because that can relate to my life. For me, I don’t like school at all and I'm not very good at being book smart, but I have always had the street smarts that not a lot of people have. It made me feel better that we all don't have to have to go through years of schooling to become a person that makes a lot of money. We always can go back and get those degrees and also making money. I like when your professor brings in these important guess speakers that can help out our careers. He is always looking after us. Ronda was a great speaker and she really knew what she was talking about. Also, something I really got from her speech was to always have a back up plan. You never know when your first option could fail or you could injure yourself. I feel like the county jail is my back up plan because she was saying she is always hiring people. That is a great opportunity to pursue especially if my first option fails of being a police officer. Working as a correctional officer you get to know the main steps of the becoming a police officer and you can interact with the prisons. To know what to expect when you go on patrol. Having the experience before you go out there with a guy and actually effect somebody life. You should see why those people are in there and what they have done to the community. People will never understand what it is like to be in a jail until you are actually in there. Some people that are in the jails are all not bad people. I also liked how she said they are trying to help these people get jobs and get them in the right direction before they go out in the real life again. There main goal is for the people to not come back into their system. Conrad 123
I enjoyed having superintendents Ronda Guyton come speak with us. Being the first black women to be a jail superintendent might not seem huge to many, but to me that’s an outstanding accomplishment. As a women in this field alone is tough, so to get to where she is at is major. That’s hard work and dedication straight off back. To have 24 years under her belt with only 5 years left is great. Seeing and hearing her speak gave me more confidence in this field. She said that one of the main reason she joined this field was “to give back to the community, that she wanted to be the good people needed.” That right there shows what kind of heart she has. Somethings that stood out to me was communication . So far everyone in the criminal justice field no matter the gender nor sex has all said that without commutation one will not succeed. Commutation plays a huge part in this field. If one can talk and show respect for one another many things can go a different way then expected. Guyton stressed the point that one should not look at what he or she has done, not what they are incarcerated. I agree with that 100 percent, because at the end of the night everyone is still human no matter the occasion . With the county jail there is three main functions: records, administration and corrections. Corrections means to provide care , custody and security of inmates. I’m actually glad Guyton explained what the word meant, because a lot of people really don’t take into consideration what it really means. To be in this particular field one must be 21 years of age and high school diploma or equivalent , a resident, pass the physical test, attend and pass the five week BCO training , pass the state of Illinois County Exam test and pass the six weeks FTO. Although those qualifications seems like a lot , this job does not come easy , but Guyton made it all seem worth it. There are many different roles someone can accomplished if assigned to the jail. There is the correctional superintendent , assistant correctional superintendent , deputy correctional superintendent, the sergeant, transport officer, county security, field training officer’ medical officer, correctional officer, and jail tech. So no matter what skills you have if you pass the test there is always a job for you. Another thing I liked is that although Guyton values education, she does not make her decision based off education. I like that because he or she can have a degree and still not be as skilled as the next or as smart, but someone who doesn’t have a degree can be skilled , and smarter than everyone in the building. Just because one didn’t attend college does not make them dumb. Everyone is just different and have different situations and Guyton understands that. Working in a jail everyone has to play there part, so that everyone including the inmates can see the next day. There are head counts, knives count, keys count, everything one can think of has to be counted every shift and if something is off no one leaves. I like how that is though , because even though it might not be your fault that something is missing everyone is held accountable because everyone is a team. Guyton showed us pictures during her talk with us. Some of the pictures included the inmates in class . Seeing things like that is so heart felt. Just because one messed up doesn’t mean that people should turn their backs on them and this jail doesn’t . They give them educational programs to attend, their job partnership is a 7 weeks program and they even voucher for there inmates if a job calls them. To me that’s awesome because many people don’t have that structure out on the streets so to see them getting that in jail , not only does it help the system but it helps rehabilitate many of the inmates . Ronda Guyton coming to speak to us was a good thing. I wish her nothing but luck and success throughout the rest of her career.(Equality 123)
I enjoyed listening to guest speaker Correctional Superintendent Rhonda Guyton. She talks and give us details of her life and about what her job is all about. Being the first black women to be a jail superintendent was an outstanding accomplishment and to be proud of. Twenty-four years of dedication to her job at Peoria County Jail, I know that she will be missed a lot when she retires in five years. I like how she said that the reason she joined is to give back to the community and that she wanted to be the good people needed. She already serves and defends her country as a member of the United States Army, and now she continued to serve her community and people. I could say that she earned her position and title, it shows what kind and how wonderful person she is. A lot of people think that when you work at the jail, you only there to guard and to secure the inmates, but there are many different kinds of position not just as a correctional officer or administration. I learned from her that the Peoria County Jail was the eight largest jail in the state of Illinois. She explains the differences between county corrections and the state and federal corrections. Also, not all inmates who are in jail are serving time, many of the inmates are waiting for trial, some are being held for other agencies, and counties. Jail inmates can only be held in the facility no longer than 364 days, and when sentenced and proven guilty, they will serve in state or federal prison which sentence to 365 days to life. She encourages everyone who is close to the age of twenty-one to try to apply for a job at Peoria County Jail. She talks about the requirements for the job, and I thought before that to get a government job, one must have some degree. High school diploma or GED, be a resident of the Peoria County or approximately living in thirty-five miles out of Peoria County, be able to pass Physical Test, have to attend five-week training, pass the state exam, and to complete a six-week FTO program. As a student and working full time I know the stress, as she said the correctional officer could be stressful and busy, but no matter how stressful the job or position can get, always have respect for everyone and the inmates. It does not mean they are in jail, they are a bad person, some did make a bad decision, and you not supposed to treat them like nothing. She also mentions that the Peoria County Jail offers tuition reimbursement, which sounds so awesome. I learned that the jail has 492 beds with 328 cells, eight pods, segregation unit, intake, three holding cells, and over 60,000 sq.ft. They also have a medical unit with six-cell that when occupied, C.Os. have to check every fifteen minutes and to check and fill out a log sheet every time they do their check. Which I believe is very important part of the job. She mentioned that now it cost eighty dollars a day to house an inmate. Ms. Guyton did a very professional job sharing, explaining, teaching, and answering questions. I learned a lot in a short period about Peoria County Jail, different kind of job and opportunities, benefits, knowing her personally. I wish her the best of luck and success throughout the rest of her career. -Chopper123
I personally think that it's incredibly interesting that she comes here to just help teach us lectures in the classroom. I appreciate that she takes the time out of her busy schedule to come meet and instruct people that she may be hiring, working with and interviewing in the future and I am particular excited to be potentially working with her and / or Sherrif Asbell in the future because they have made it clear that they have in interest in watching our careers develop. They say that they want to hire from the local area and I can understand the sentiment and reasoning behind that but it surprises me when they say that they are more interested in recruiting ICC students over Western Illinois University students. They express these ideas seemingly whenever we meet them whether that's at the jail tour or in the class room and it really drives home the point that we are the group of people that they are interested in essentially grooming for a position in their facility. I think that was the main take away from her lecture anyhow, even if she did give a majority of the lesson over facts about the jail and jails across the country. -TaxSeason 123 456 789
I really enjoyed having the superintendent of the Jail Ronda Guyton come in and talk to us for the class. She has a nice way of talking to people. When I hear her talking it’s easy to relate to her or at least feel like what she is talking about could be happening to us during our careers. I think the last thing that I learned that I am going to mention first is that she is the first black female to oversee the jail and keep everything running smoothly. That shows what her character and work ethic is like. After seeing the jail during the tour and seeing how it is ran and now hearing someone talk about what goes on in there twice now I can see that she is doing a great job at her job as superintendent. Today specifically was nice to be able to get a good review of what goes on there and really absorb everything again, and to be able to hear it from the one who knows it best. Seeing all of the jobs that corrections is in charge of is really cool with a lot of different types of jobs involved in that unit. It was really encouraging to hear her say a few times that she is always hiring and giving advice on when to start applying and what the whole process looks like. These situations are good to so that in the future you will be able to see her and already know who she is and get a little bit of a foot in the door. I haven’t ever really thought about conducting a strip search before, and what that all entailed but she painted a very vivid picture of what all went on. The job of a correctional officer is very dirty and dangerous and you have to be on your A game at all times. She talked about how using your voice will get you a lot farther in this career. Being able to de-escalate a situation before someone resorts to violence is what officers have to be able to do in order to keep things under control. One thing that I have started to notice through her speaking today is that you don’t always have to go off and get the big paperwork like she was saying there at the end to have a good career. Just a GED or High school diploma is what is needed for an entry level with her team, and an associates is plenty of qualification to become a correctional officer and that is nice to know that after we get done here and get our degrees our jobs could be starting. I think that anyone that would be interested in working in the prison should talk to her and hear about what she talked about today because it would be very helpful to know what you’re getting in to and have a head start going in to training. Wings123
ReplyDeleteI thought the mention about the GED and high school diploma was neat. Also, how she was talking about how people do not need a big fancy degree in criminal justice to be considered smart and outstanding. For example, she was talking about her friend that works with her and how he only had a high school diploma, yet whenever she needs help with numbers and statistics she calls upon him to aid her.
Delete-MickSwagger123
I agree with the talking thing. That plays a big role because they cant have anything in there but themselves and their mouths and being on some one bad side would not be pretty. Also, about the GED problem, its really nice that they care about their future and don't want them sitting in there doing the same thing with the same mindset. i love that they help people, its a good look on them and shows other departments what is good to do. -babyblue123
DeleteI thought that starting out with her resume and they type of work she's put in throughout her career really set the tone and showed what her work ethic is like and how she's gotten to where she is in Peoria County. I agree that she did a really good job informing us about the communication skills that we need to be able to perform that job as a correctional officer. She also was very real and straight up with the class about what the job is like, for example whenever dealing with someone that is being booked on drug charges, the type of searching you have to perform as a corrections officer. She didn't sugarcoat any of it which was a nice change of pace when explaining what it's like to work as a corrections officer.
DeleteDaBears123
Today in class, I thought was another unique and nice perspective in terms of the criminal justice career. The class, instead of being taught by Professor White, was approached by Ronda Guyton. Ronda Guyton was the first African American woman to be ranked as Captain at the Peoria County Jail. She had a commencement in front of many people including her family and colleagues, and this achievement was a pretty big step forward in the right direction. Ronda grew up in Peoria and was even living in the Harrison Homes on the South end. With that being said, she knows the community and has an understanding with the community that some other people may not have. Not only that, but Ronda also served in the military and so she has a good degree of self-respect and just respect in general and that was evident in her presentation this morning as she even said that respect was something that needed to be shown to all inmates. Guyton also has a degree which is not always needed, but certainly is helpful because it can give some insight in some particular instances. What Ronda Guyton was talking about today in class was basically how to become a correctional officer and some of expectations that come with the job and what correctional officers do at the Peoria County Jail. I thought that it was neat that the County Jail offers Tuition Reimbursement because I did not know that they would do that. Some of the other things that Ronda was talking about in the classroom today was some of the layout of the County Jail. For instance, she stated that even though they have a couple of gyms, the inmates are currently not allowed to use them because of issues that they have had in the past. Another thing that was discussed was how many freedoms and restrictions the inmates had. For example, the inmates are only allowed to do laundry twice a week. A thing that I liked about the Peoria County Jail is that there are classrooms that help educate the inmates so that when they do get released, they are less likely to commit the same crime. That is another reason why Ronda Guyton is cool; she strives to get mental health professionals to help with inmates who have mental health issues. I definitely think that Ronda Guyton getting her rank was a step in the right direction and I hope to see some great changes occur while she is still working.
ReplyDelete-MickSwagger123
I did like all the different programs that the Peoria County Jail offered for their inmates. They have numerous reentry programs and I really like the Jobs of Partnership one that the superintendent was talking about. Also the education that our facility gives their inmates is quite amazing compared to other jails across our nation. Many people even still today believe that we should lock up these people and throw away the key and forget about them. That is not the humane way nor is that what the United States of America wants to do because it cost to much money and we are only trillions of dollars in debt but that's no big problem. NDIrish123.
DeleteHaving the Peoria County Jail superintendent come in and talk to us today was amazing. In this career you may hear the same thing one hundred times and not even know it because everyone is saying it differently. Having the superintendent come in and speak today was great for a number of reasons. One and probably the biggest reason is that it shows diversity in the law enforcement/criminal justice workforce. It shows that women can hold "rank" and move on up to those high paying jobs like superintendent. It also shows that minorities can do it also. Both of these are huge issues now and will continue to be big issues into the future of the world and how policing will evolve. Not every job in the United States of America can be dominated by white males, nor should it be that way. We need a diverse culture in the workforce to accurately represent those people in which we serve. Having the superintendent come in and speak also shows many people there is a lot more things to do in the law enforcement/criminal justice/corrections field other than being a cop. Now for me being on the tours through the Peoria County Jail and listening to the Sheriff and the Jail Superintendent it has really opened my eyes to what I may want to do since I am coming near to the end in my schooling with me graduating in May and then going to Eureka College to finish my four year degree. I am each day looking for more and more places that are hiring in this field of work and I am getting ideas where I may apply when that time comes and as of now the Peoria County Sheriff's Department is a sure bet I will apply when the time comes. One thing that surprised me about the Peoria County Jail is that they will hold inmates from other facility for a period of time like the superintendent said with the Pekin Federal Prison. She mentioned that they just received their female inmates back which were being held at a separate facility. This I did not know before. I did know that they would hold federal inmates for extradition back to that prison but I was unaware of the holding of inmates that were previously at a prison facility. Also with Peoria County Jail being the eighth largest in the state of Illinois and for them to hold all the accreditation's that they do I would like to visit numerous other jails throughout our state and compare and contrast and see how much more different those jails are and see those differences and look at the crime rates in those areas and do a study possibly on how much better your jail is if it effects crime and how and see if it even stops certain offenders from re offending again. You could also look at the recidivism rates of the different jails and then see how many of those inmates stop their in their criminal life and they go out and get a job and continue to better themselves and their lives. NDIrish123.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you- it was great having the opportunity to listen to what Ronda Guyton had to say and about what you said as far as diversity in this field of work goes. She's living proof that women of a diverse culture can not only hold a position of authority, but do so successfully. I am also interested in finding other positions that offer tuition reimbursement programs in this field of work, so we are on the same page as far as that goes. Hearing her speak about the jail and how they are so often hiring really made me strongly consider applying in the near future for the tuition reimbursement, the experience, and the great benefits. Hoagie123
DeleteToday in class I really enjoyed listening and having the superintendent of the jail Ronda Guyton come in talk to our class. To start out I think it is amazing that Ronda is the first African American woman to oversee the jail. I think it proves that if you have a dream you can accomplish it. To be able to talk to someone who achieved the rank of captain at the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office is awesome. To hear her background and how she knew she wanted to be a cop and she ended up doing what she wanted to do in life. Ronda grew up in Peoria, IL. Knowing that she knows how to communicate with the community and understands with the community that other people may not have. Ronda also served in the Military before serving in the reserves. That is when she began working at the jail. 2 years in she ranked up to bigger and better things. In today’s class things I learned from listening to Ronda speak today really gave me an eye opener on the jobs that correctional officers do and everyone else that works in a jail. I think that I learned today in class is how officers have to have great communication skills because working as a correctional officer you only have two things when you step in a pod keys and a radio. You got to be able to communicate to the inmates to stop the situation at hand. Communication is key. Another thing I learned that Ronda talked about was how to respect the people who are incarcerated because some people are only in jail because of a traffic ticket per say and you don’t wanna get treated badly because of that. Respect is the major key. If you respect the inmates you’re most likely to get respect back from them. Furthermore another thing I loved hearing was that even though these inmates are in jail they can further better themselves for when they get out. For example they can take a GED program to get there GED so they will at least have something to look forward to get out. I also liked how she talked about the job programs how it is a class that helps them build and write a resume, a cover letter, how to talk during a interview and ect. I love how she said they work with the programs where even if they are still only in there 3rd week of the program and they get out they can still go back and finish the program and not have to just forget about it. To know that people are willing to help these released inmates get back on their feet again so they don’t end up back in jail is absolutely fantastic. I love that Ronda strives to get the inmates the help they need. For example if they need help getting a job because there sentences are almost over, or helping with mental illness patients or helping people get there education so when they get out the can further themselves. Ronda is overall and inspiring person and I’m so happy we got to listen to her speak today. Smile123
ReplyDeleteI think that good she was the first African American woman to oversee the jail. I think that good to treat people with respect because you can't just think them as inmates. Here proof someone who grew up from Peoria and doing something good and she want be cop and she did . With out any learning you will fail why you need some kind knowledge because you will be lost with out. This was very good speech today because i learn a lot from this.
Delete-panthers123
I like the point you brought up when you referenced her serving in the military. I forgot to mention that in my own paper but thought that that is an honorable service for her country and once again it speaks to who she is as a person. She is willing to work hard for what she wants and never give up on her goals. I think She is an inspiration for anyone looking to go into the criminal justice field, and can show that even though things may not always be easy along the way that it will definitely be worth it in the end. Wings123
DeleteI completely agree with how amazing it is that she was the first African American woman to oversee the Peoria County Jail. I think that accomplishment alone will push not only African American woman but all woman to push harder and go beyond their comfort zones to reach their own goals. I think it is absolutely honorable of her to serve in the service. Mrs. Guyton serving in the military and overcoming these kinds of obstacles is awesome and definitely hits home as someone who has also served in the military. Being a woman and reaching these goals give other woman someone to look up to. UofM123
Deletetoday was good to hear from Ronda Guyton I really listen to her because, what all she has done during her career. What I like the most is when she said you don't treat these inmates different because at the end of the day these people are not no different. It’s the way you talk to them because a lot times the corrections people think they are better than everyone. She also grew up on the South end she want to make different and help people and she want to be a cop and she did that. I know it was not easy because a lot people don't like the cops. She also wants help those who don't know what to do when they get out like a lot them don't have nowhere to turn for work. IF you want to be cop I think deal with corrections can help you get when you out there if you can’t talk these people how you are going act when you out there. Mental health is hedge problem special in prison because these days don’t think can live no ore. The only weapons you need in there will help is the radio and the most important is your mouth because if you like treat them bad and I don’t think this job is for you at all. The more education you have the better chance you be ready out in the real world. The more education these inmates have will help them like if you are defended your self have be ready for it. A lot these inmates don’t believe in them self that got e ready when going to court. I know about if you were on trial I thought you only had certain time, but I learned that not the case because you can be in jail as long when the trail is over than you get sentences. I know about the power test because before I got into the criminal justice I look into it and I know how it work. You must be in shaped depends on your age and if you are a guy or women. The reason why I want to be cop not just help people want to make different in people life’s because I want show people you can do anything if you put your mind to it. I am happy to see more women in pekin jail now we just get more women in prison who be a cop its kind hard because they may be scared however they can make different for other women just need to step up. Some of the thing you need be if you want a correction officer is one have be at last 21 years old. Also, have taken a written test those are just some of the thing but however she is someone people can look up and I have learned a lot from today class. IT give some things to think about if I ever want be interested in corrections.
ReplyDelete-Panthers123
Yes this was a great learning experience and these inmates who may have done one mistake are just the same as we are at the end of the day and we need to see that, which is something I think the jail does very well by having the new hires start out as being correctional officers instead of just sending them straight to the streets. When she said the only weapon you have when in the pods in a radio, I got a little worried, but then I realized that was because they are trying to train you to be able to communicate with someone and they want to see how you can handle these types of situations.
DeleteIllini123
The presentation Ronda Guyton gave was really informing. In the article they introduced Mrs., Guyton saying Guyton, a 24-year veteran of the office, beamed as she was sworn in by Sheriff Brian Asbell. Also sworn in was Carmisha Turner, an 11-year veteran who will be the new deputy superintendent at the jail. The changes are a result of Michael McCoy resigning as sheriff to become the new police chief in Washington. Asbell, the former head jailer, was appointed to be McCoy’s replacement. She was able to explain to us everything that goes down in the jail house and even gave us extra information about things we don’t really know. For example, she mentions the head count and that they have to count everything in the jail before anything happens next. I found that interesting because that’s a lot of responsibility to take care of people your dealing with a lot of people. They also have count all the supplies in the lunch room and the janitors have to count there supplies as well. She mentioned that a County Corrections is unsentenced inmates, no longer than 364 days in the jail, and pretrial confinement. For State/Federal Corrections it says they are sentenced, can be in there for 365 days to life, and is built to house long term. Another thing I found interesting is it cost about $80 a day to house them. that’s a lot of money per day they have to get through. I wonder is it includes their food and certain activities. For the qualification of a Correction officer, you have to be at least 21, a high school degree or equivalent, a resident of Peoria County, and able to pass a physical ability test and many more test. When officers go into the jail they cannot have anything on them. Their only weapon is the mouth, they have to be able to talk to them and calm them down with what they say to them. To me that can be very dangerous because anything can happen in the jail house. You never know what they can use on you. The good thing about this is the Peoria County Jail does not have many Murdering cases in there most of them is for little offense like traffic ticket or didn’t pay a fine fee. She also mentions that they like to get different things in the jail. The good thing I like is that there is an opportunity that they can have a job when they get out of there. Everyone knows that its hard getting a job when you get locked up. But with them they want you to change your life around and get you on the right track. Which is what I am trying to do with becoming a Probation Officer. I wouldn’t mind working there because it seems like everything is in order and they have the right mindset of those people being in there because they don’t have to care about their lives but they do and that means a lot. -babyblue123
ReplyDeleteI agree that is a lot of money that they have to keep them in there for 80 dollars a day. That adds up everyday and if they are in there for a dumb cause then it isnt worth the 80 dollars a day. We should limit the people that are in there so its not so expensive a day. Conrad123
DeleteToday in class was a great learning day because we had Ronda Guyton come in who is the superintendent at the Peoria County Jail. It was great to listen and learn about all the work the jail does and how good the jail is to work at. When she was talking about all the positions they have at the jail, I never knew there were so many different types of jobs and there are some that do not require having to go to the police academy to learn how to do that job. One thing that I liked is how they have almost all their new employees start in the jail and they have to show that they can communicate before they can actually go out into the public and have a weapon that can easily kill someone. Many of us know that working for a county, the backup closest could be 20 miles away and the officer could be around 10 different people. Officers need to know how to handle the situation and make sure they can de-escalate it they have to by not using a gun and just being able to talk to the suspect. She also talked about how she wants the guards to show respect to the offenders, because some of the people who are in there may only be in there because they didn’t pay a traffic ticket and then they got a warrant for their arrest. When she was talking about hiring new employees and she said that you needed just a high school diploma or GED, but need to be at least 21 years of age. She also said that one of the smartest men she has working for her has no college education, which shows that some people are just better off not going to college and are able to be smart without spending all of their money. She also said that they give college reimbursement, but you have to stay employed with them for at least two years after you graduate, which is smart because if someone goes to college for a business degree, and gets it paid for, then they just decide to leave, the jail just spent all that money on someone and they will not be getting any of the benefits of that person. She was also talking about all the programs that the jail offers to the inmates and how all of the people are volunteer and are willing to try and help these people get back on their feet. When she was talking about some of the inmates getting out and going to get jobs, she said that they can put the jail down as a reference, which I think is neat because it shows that the jail is all about rehabilitation and not just locking people up for life. I thought that today's class was great and was a great learning experience for everybody.
ReplyDeleteIllini123
I also like how superintendent Rhonda Guyton mentioned that a person yes has to be 21, but also that they can actually be hired when they are twenty years old. They just have to be the age of twenty-one when they go to the jailing academy. She mentioned that if any of us did apply when we were twenty to apply about four months or so before we turned twenty-one because the hiring process does take a little while to complete. Which I thought was a very nice of piece of information to know because that is what I am planning on doing and was nice to know that I can apply before I am twenty-one. Trojan123
DeleteRonda Guyton was an excellent speaker and I very much enjoyed getting to hear what she had to say. I think it really is amazing that she was the first African American woman to become superintendent of the jail because it says a lot about her personality and goals. She didn’t care if someone else of her gender/race had had the job previously, but that didn’t deter her from striving toward her goal of becoming the superintendent. After hearing her lecture, I am strongly considering starting off with a position at the Peoria County Jail, largely because it is great experience and because of the school loan repayment program. I think it's great that they pay a percentage of your school loans back based on what grade you got in each class. Before hearing that, I was happy with getting a’s or b’s in my courses, but now I will strive even harder to get that A because I would love for them to pay the full amount for as many of my classes as possible. The only deterrent I am worried about as far as becoming a corrections officer was having to look in lots of butts, as childish as that sounds. I know she said it’s not for the faint of heart, which I’m not, but it still does not sound like much fun- especially on a weekend like Scamp when 30+ people are typically brought in. I believe starting off at the jail would give me great experience and help teach me how to interact better with people on the street, just like Ronda said. Something that surprised me was that they do have two complete gyms in the jail, but the inmates are currently not allowed to even use them. Maybe my opinion was just based off of movies, but I thought every prison kind of had to allow their prisoners to workout in a gym because there’s just so little for them to do and to keep their minds busy. Although my opinion on this changed when Ronda spoke about previous problems they’ve had in the gyms and with how much else they’ve added, like barber school and GED programs, to give the prisoners the tools they’ll need to succeed once released. Something that stood out to me was that your biggest tool/weapon as a corrections officer in the prison was your voice and communication skills. If you don’t treat the prisoners with respect, there will be opportunities for them to take some kind of action on you when they know it will be at least fifteen minutes before anyone notices you’re missing. This is huge to me because these communication skills are things I need to practice in order to become the best cop I can be. She also mentioned that when you’re extremely outnumbered, your voice is going to be your best tool because you must deescalate the situation as quickly as possible because one person just simply cannot take on 30-40 inmates and win, let alone come out unscathed. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed Ronda’s lecture and wouldn’t mind hearing her speak again. Hoagie123
ReplyDeleteHaving superintendent of the jail Rhonda Guyton come into the class and talk the other day was very enjoyable. She is a very good speaker. First to mention about her that I thought was cool was that she is the first black women to ever oversea the jail. Which is running very smoothly. This just shows her as a person and what her work ethic is like. I could tell that she is very qualified for her position and that she is very dedicated to her job. I have been on the jail tour twice now and those both times I have went I learn something new every time. When she came in and talked to our class I learned even more about the jail. I love hearing about when she talks about the hiring process and what it takes to work at the county jail. I learned that the only qualifications that are needed is that a person either has to have a high school diploma or GED. I also learned that if a person decided to do further schooling that they will reimburse you. But they won't reimburse you obviously if you are failing on the of the classes. But the better grades that a person has the more they will pay for. Which I thought was very beneficial to a person. The other things that a person had to do to get hired was to be the age of twenty-one by the time they got sent to the academy. They also needed to pass a oral interview, polygraph, written test and the physical test. I also loved hearing how they are always hiring and that she hired twelve people in the last seven months. It was also really cool to see all the different types of jobs a person can get at the jail rather than just a jailer. These jobs are records, administration, and they also have a maintenance crew that works at the jail. When a person knows that someone works in the jail they automatically think that they are a jailer, but that is not always the case. They even have a medical staff, dentist, and even a person dealing with mental illness. She also mentioned on what it was really like to work as a corrections officer. She mentioned that is not for the faint hearted, that you will have to conduct strip searches and some people just cannot to that. She mentioned the different difficulties that a person would face being in this line of work that most people do not think of. She also mentioned that a person's best weapon in the jail is there voice. She said that a person will need to learn how to de-escalate a situation with there words. Which is a big part of being a correctional officer. I would tell anyone who is thinking about working in the field of corrections to talk to superintendent Rhonda Guyton first to get a first hand account by the person who knows it best on what actually goes on and what a person would actually be doing if they work in the jail. Trojan123
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said about her being the first black woman to oversea the jail reflecting on the type of person Ronda is. It takes someone extremely strong minded to be able to work in that kind of setting, especially a female. I also agree that the grading system is very beneficial. She said that if you receive a D you won’t be reimbursed which I think is very fair. Most college classes you aren’t allowed to get a D in so I think it should be the same way in the jails. I agree that Ronda is a special woman and I’m glad we got to listen to her talk. Cheer123
DeleteHaving Ronda Guyton come in and talk to our class was a great experience. I love not having to learn from the textbook or just doing powerpoints everyday. I think Ronda did a really great job presenting all the different job opportunities and systems about the jail that make everything run smoothly. I thought it was very interesting that they do 3 counts a day. These counts include everything in the jail from tools to kitchen knives. This is awesome and makes for a very safe jail and also helps to keep the community safe as well. I thought it was interesting that Peoria County is the 8th largest jail in the state of Illinois because I thought, size wise, it was pretty large. It would be scary working in a jail that's 10 times the size of Peoria County with guys 10 times the size of me. Working in the jail would be a very hard job and I give major props to everyone that does it. It’s definitely not a job that just anyone could do and it takes a lot of courage to be able to go into pods with no weapon or anything to defend yourself if things go south. Ronda said that it would take someone 15 minutes before anyone realized you didn’t come out of the pod if something were to happen and that’s terrifying. I thought it was cool when Ronda was saying that education is important, but it’s not everything. That’s so true in today’s world. There are many people I know that work super hard at what they do and are some of the smartest people I’ve ever met, but don’t have a degree and got very bad grades in school. School isn’t for everyone and I love that there are jobs out there that don’t hold it against you or think your work will reflect how well you did in school because that isn’t even the half of it. I liked hearing about all the different types of jobs that are available within the jail that isn’t just a correctional officer that most people believe. I always thought it was like the movies where you only have correctional officers and a nurse on duty. I also wasn’t aware that the nurses go through different types of training than nurses who work in the hospitals. I think that’s extremely important because those nurses need to know how to deal with inmates and be able to deescalate a situation if needed to be. Ronda Guyton is a very intelligent woman and is someone I look up to. It’s not an easy job to be a woman working in a jail where men, and women, are catcalling you and harrassing you. You have to be strong willed and not let your guard down ever. There's never a day where you can go to work and have the mindset that it’s going to be an “average” day. No day is average and you always have to expect the worst. Cheer123
ReplyDeleteI also thought it was a great experience being able to have Ronda come in and talk to us about everything that she does and the different job opportunities that are available. I didn't know that they had to do 3 counts a day for every tool and knife that they use in the jail cell. The details that she said about how it would take 15 minutes for someone to realize that you didn't come out of the pod for counts is terrifying, especially walking around with nothing to defend yourself but like Ronda said, and that our professor talks about your biggest weapon is your mouth and the way you communicate. As long as you can communicate and have respect but also making sure your boundaries are set and known about, then you would be fine. I also like how she said about how you don't have to have a degree to work there, because like you said and she also said, school isn't for everyone, but they still give out job opportunities for the ones that don't have the desire to go to school. I also didn't know that the nurses that work there are trained fully for working with inmates. I also agree how you said that you have to be strong willed and not let your guard down while working in this career field because like you had said you have to always be aware of the worse that could happen and be fully ready to handle every situation that comes your way in this career.Motocross123
DeleteOn Tuesday, we had a speaker come into the class. The speaker was Ronda Guyton. She works at the Peoria County Jail as a superintendent. She was the first African American woman to become a superintendent at the jail. She was in the military. When she got out she became a police officer. She told the class she has 5 years left. I thought it was interesting that the jail is the 8th largest jail in Illinois. The three functions in the jail is records, administration and corrections. Records mean that the jail maintains the inmates’ records. Administration means the jail manage programs for the inmates. Lastly corrections mean the jail provides care for the inmates. She told us the qualifications to work at the jail as a correctional officer. The person must be 21 years of age, have a high school degree or a college degree, pass BCO, agility, written, polygraph test, pass medical examination, and test as required. When she showed the high archery, correctional superintendent is at the top. The jail has a 24-hour medical person in the building. Also, they have a 60-hour mental health officer who check on the inmates. They must have a headcount 3 times a day. The inmates can go out side in the yard only of it is nice outside. The inmates have a library/ law time. The jail lets people take tours in the building. Some of the programs that the jail has is church, GED, JP, food, and Rick’s crew. They are also thinking about yoga. I thought she did a great job with her speech. --softball123
ReplyDeleteHaving SuperIntendent Ronda Guyton speak to the class was a really informative opportunity. Superintendant Guyton went quite in depth with how the jail is run and who in the jail has certain responsibilities. When I personally think of a county jail the first and really only thing I think of are the inmates who are serving their time and the correctional officers. Mrs. Guyton showed us that there are so many more positions that make up the Peoria County Jail. Each with responsibilites that help contribute to the jail running like clockwork. She did a good job of explaining what the main functions of the jail are. Her resopnosibilites as superintendent were managing the department programs, administering the budget, as well as managing personnel records. As someone that is looking to start out in corrections to get into the criminal justice field, superintendant Guyton was very helpful with giving advice on how to get a job as a correctional officer as well as informing us of what it takes to be a correctional officer. Similarly to being a police officer, as a corrections officer, your ability to communicate is going to dictate how well or not so well you do your job. As a correctional officer you have to be able to communicate effectively with people from all sorts of different backgrounds. Correctional officers are not armed with any weapons lethal or non-lethal, their only weapon is their radio to call for help and their voice to communicate and de-escelate the situation. Mrs. Guyton was also very informative about what the requirements are to become a correctional officer for Peoria County. You must be twenty one and have a high school degree or GED. Although Mrs. Guyton was emphasizing how important a college degree is, she also stressed that at Peoria County, they will always take into consideration if someone has a college degree, but they do not hold it against an applicant if they do not. They look beyond the papers and consider your test scores and interview much more. What is something that I didn't know that Peoria County did, was they have a tuition reimbursement program. You have to agree to work there for at least two years, but for every A letter grade you get, they will cover one hundred percent of your tuition, for ever B you receive, they'll cover eighty percent of that class as well. Not only as an employee for Peoria County are you getting your foot in the door of the field you go to school for, they will pay for your further education which will help you advance in any job you end up having.
ReplyDeleteDaBears123
I really enjoyed listening and hearing Correctional Superintendent Rhonda Guyton talk and give us details about her job and about the Peoria County Jail. I could tell how much she loves her job and her community, just in the way she presented her self and her enthusiasm while talking about it. I didn't know that she was the first black woman to oversee the jail, that is an accomplishment just in itself. From her stories that she had talked about, I would say she definitely earned her job title. She went into detail about every job title that there is at the jail from records,administration, and corrections. I had also learned the difference from county corrections, and state/federal corrections. County corrections is for un-sentenced inmates that can't be there longer then 364 days and is meant to be for a holding facility and State/Federal corrections is for sentenced inmates, serving 365 days to life and is built for house long term. I am earning my degree to become a correctional officer for the prison, but she was saying how the Peoria County Jail is always hiring and is hiring right now for Correctional Officers, and have us all the requirements for the job, which is having to be 21 years old, have a high school diploma or a GED, has to be a resident in the Peoria County, able to pass the physical agility test, have to attend 5 week BCO training and also have to have successfully complete the 6 week FTO program. She said that you have a year to become a resident for the Peoria County once you start the training, if I lived in Peoria County, I would definitely be applying for a job. She also went into detail on what you will be doing while being a correctional officer and how stressful and busy your day is while at work. One main thing she couldn't stress enough for working at the jail and no matter what your job title is, was to have respect for the inmates. Just because they are in the jail doesn't mean you should treat them like "trash" as she said. The Peoria County jail also offers reimbursement for schooling, which is nice. She also said how that the jail is more then just corrections, it is information technology, had medical 24 hours, has 60 hours of mental health, food services, dental, commissary, and janitorial service. I also had learned that the Peoria County Jail is the 8th largest jail, and it is over 60,000 sq. ft. Having 492 beds, and 328 cells. There are 8 pods, a seg. unit and intake has 3 holding cells and 1 medical unit with 6 cells. I had also learned that they no longer offer gym time because most inmates choose to go outside for their recreational time to get fresh air. Correctional officers has to do a 30 minute count in all of the pods and when they have people that are being held in the holding cells intake, they have to do a every 15 minute check and they also have to fill out a log sheet every time they do their check, which entails having to detail everything, what the inmate is doing, what time you did the check, etc. There is so much that entails in every job title in corrections and there isn't ever an "easy" day while working in corrections. Even though we have learned it already but she also talked about how 60 percent of detainees are dealing with mental health issues. Also told us that it is 80 dollars perday to house inmates and they also house other agencies, male and female. She said that they were housing female inmates that were for the Federal Bureau Prison in Pekin until January when they opened back up their female building. Even though it is a stressful job and so much to it, just listening to Ronda talk about the jobs there and helping her community makes me even more determined to get myself into the career I am wanting to pursue. Motocross123
ReplyDeleteIn class this week we had a guest speaker by the name of Ronda Guyton come and speak to our class. Ronda is the Superintendent of the Correction facility. Personally when I think of jail I think of inmates and jail staff whether it be the officers or the volunteer staff that’s about it. When Ronda spoke to our class it was extremely informative even for those that are not looking to go into that field, or at least didn’t want to prior to Ronda speaking. She spoke very in depth about how the correctional facility works and how inmates and jail staff are not the only parts to a jail. Mrs. Guyton showed and taught us that there are many different avenues of working fields that you can get into with the Peoria County Jail. One of the things that Mrs. Guyton talked about was education. She was very clear about how important education is, but she also talked to us and said that although it would be taken into consideration they do NOT hold it against any person that applies for a job. I was very surprised at also how much she emphasized how one needs communication skills. In today's society it is very easy to be rude and judgmental to the inmates. I completely agreed with Mrs. Guyton when she was telling us how you have to respect others even as an inmate. They are still human and deserve respect. I am a strong believer of if you have not walked in someone else's shoes, you are no one to judge. Some of the inmates as Mrs. Guyton shared with us could be in there for something as small as not paying a fine. A question that a student brought up that I had no idea was that Peoria County Jail has a tuition reimbursement program. The way it works is if you have an A they will cover you one hundred percent. If you have a B they will cover you eighty percent. The other part of this program that I liked and found to agree with was if you decide to use their reimbursement program you basically have to sign a contract that you will be with them for at least two years. I agree with this because it would not be fair to those that take advantage in a good way (furthering their education in criminal justice) for someone who wants to take advantage in a not so good way to get a degree in some other career field and them leave that department. Mrs. Guyton was very professional when speaking to us and you could tell that she was very well educated and knew what she was talking about other than just reading something off of a piece of paper. Mrs. Guyton thoroughly described all the different jobs available within Peoria County Jail and I think it opened a lot of students up to different views and jobs available other than the front paged noticed jobs. UofM123
ReplyDeleteI thought that Superintendent Guyton’s speech to us was very informative also. SHe did definitely put emphasis on the importance of education and how school is a helpful avenue in a career like this. I do like that she spoke about how someone without an education will also be considered. SHe said that school is not for everyone, and i agree with her completely. Her insight on communication skills was very helpful, and what she said about being able to communicate with the inmates was very true. If we learn to communicate with the inmates, that will definitely help our careers in law enforcement as officers. “Patriots123”
DeleteI did not know going into class on Monday that we would get to hear Superintendent Rhonda Guyton speak to our class about the Peoria County Jail. She began by telling us about her journey into law enforcement, and made it very clear that she has had a very successful career. As a woman, she is definitely someone i can look forward to. She had goals set for herself and she achieved them. I really enjoyed the story that she told us about how she was jumping a fence and got stuck. That sounds funny, but it really just made me feel a bit better. It helped show me that each and every person is still learning, and mistakes are going to be made. She was able to move on from that experience and tell future students like me how it influenced her. Not only this, but also the fact that she was very honest with us. She did not sugarcoat things but rather gave us information on the jail and really pushed us to think long and hard if this would be the position for us. She gave us an overview of county versus state corrections, and I did not know some of the differences between the two. It was interesting to hear that although the jail is generally only to be a place where someone is held for less than a year, people waiting for trials can be in there much longer than that. The county generally only holds unsentenced inmates, while the state hold sentenced inmates. ALso, the state was built to hold long-term while the county is established to house more of the short-term. As she continued speaking to us, she went into some of the qualifications that must be met to be a corrections officer. In discussing this with us, she told us that they had to pass a five week field training program. This was very interesting to me because I knew that police officers had to pass field training but i did not know that corrections officers had to also. In describing to us the job of a corrections officer, she made it very clear that this job is not for everyone. Just like being a police officer, there are many situations a corrections officer would have to deal with that most people would not want to. She even went as far as to say that this job is not for the faint of heart. As far as different branches of working at the jail goes, she laid out the three major branches. The first branch being records, which is essentially maintaining jail inmate records and incident report files. The next branch of the jail would be administration. What the administration aims to do is to manage departmental programs and to administer the budget, personnel records, purchasing, and training activities. The third branch of the jail, the one that most think of when they think of a jail, is the corrections. The main goal of corrections is to provide care, custody, and security of inmates. “Patriots123”
ReplyDeleteRonda Guyton a very powerful women. She taught me a lot of things I didn't know about her. Walking into class and seeing her was surprising. Our professor brings in a lot of very important and she is one of them. Ronda Guyton the superintendent of a county jail. Yes, she is a women which is also very interesting. She has to walk around that jail with her head up high and her guard always up. I learned a lot on what she said in her speech to the class. I didn't know you could become a correctional officer right out of highschool. That is a huge plus for a lot of people because people don't always end up going to college. One of the main things that caught my interest is she, was talking about college isn't for everyone. That caught my interest because that can relate to my life. For me, I don’t like school at all and I'm not very good at being book smart, but I have always had the street smarts that not a lot of people have. It made me feel better that we all don't have to have to go through years of schooling to become a person that makes a lot of money. We always can go back and get those degrees and also making money. I like when your professor brings in these important guess speakers that can help out our careers. He is always looking after us. Ronda was a great speaker and she really knew what she was talking about. Also, something I really got from her speech was to always have a back up plan. You never know when your first option could fail or you could injure yourself. I feel like the county jail is my back up plan because she was saying she is always hiring people. That is a great opportunity to pursue especially if my first option fails of being a police officer. Working as a correctional officer you get to know the main steps of the becoming a police officer and you can interact with the prisons. To know what to expect when you go on patrol. Having the experience before you go out there with a guy and actually effect somebody life. You should see why those people are in there and what they have done to the community. People will never understand what it is like to be in a jail until you are actually in there. Some people that are in the jails are all not bad people. I also liked how she said they are trying to help these people get jobs and get them in the right direction before they go out in the real life again. There main goal is for the people to not come back into their system. Conrad 123
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed having superintendents Ronda Guyton come speak with us. Being the first black women to be a jail superintendent might not seem huge to many, but to me that’s an outstanding accomplishment. As a women in this field alone is tough, so to get to where she is at is major. That’s hard work and dedication straight off back. To have 24 years under her belt with only 5 years left is great. Seeing and hearing her speak gave me more confidence in this field. She said that one of the main reason she joined this field was “to give back to the community, that she wanted to be the good people needed.” That right there shows what kind of heart she has. Somethings that stood out to me was communication . So far everyone in the criminal justice field no matter the gender nor sex has all said that without commutation one will not succeed. Commutation plays a huge part in this field. If one can talk and show respect for one another many things can go a different way then expected. Guyton stressed the point that one should not look at what he or she has done, not what they are incarcerated. I agree with that 100 percent, because at the end of the night everyone is still human no matter the occasion . With the county jail there is three main functions: records, administration and corrections. Corrections means to provide care , custody and security of inmates. I’m actually glad Guyton explained what the word meant, because a lot of people really don’t take into consideration what it really means. To be in this particular field one must be 21 years of age and high school diploma or equivalent , a resident, pass the physical test, attend and pass the five week BCO training , pass the state of Illinois County Exam test and pass the six weeks FTO. Although those qualifications seems like a lot , this job does not come easy , but Guyton made it all seem worth it. There are many different roles someone can accomplished if assigned to the jail. There is the correctional superintendent , assistant correctional superintendent , deputy correctional superintendent, the sergeant, transport officer, county security, field training officer’ medical officer, correctional officer, and jail tech. So no matter what skills you have if you pass the test there is always a job for you. Another thing I liked is that although Guyton values education, she does not make her decision based off education. I like that because he or she can have a degree and still not be as skilled as the next or as smart, but someone who doesn’t have a degree can be skilled , and smarter than everyone in the building. Just because one didn’t attend college does not make them dumb. Everyone is just different and have different situations and Guyton understands that. Working in a jail everyone has to play there part, so that everyone including the inmates can see the next day. There are head counts, knives count, keys count, everything one can think of has to be counted every shift and if something is off no one leaves. I like how that is though , because even though it might not be your fault that something is missing everyone is held accountable because everyone is a team. Guyton showed us pictures during her talk with us. Some of the pictures included the inmates in class . Seeing things like that is so heart felt. Just because one messed up doesn’t mean that people should turn their backs on them and this jail doesn’t . They give them educational programs to attend, their job partnership is a 7 weeks program and they even voucher for there inmates if a job calls them. To me that’s awesome because many people don’t have that structure out on the streets so to see them getting that in jail , not only does it help the system but it helps rehabilitate many of the inmates . Ronda Guyton coming to speak to us was a good thing. I wish her nothing but luck and success throughout the rest of her career.(Equality 123)
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed listening to guest speaker Correctional Superintendent Rhonda Guyton. She talks and give us details of her life and about what her job is all about. Being the first black women to be a jail superintendent was an outstanding accomplishment and to be proud of. Twenty-four years of dedication to her job at Peoria County Jail, I know that she will be missed a lot when she retires in five years. I like how she said that the reason she joined is to give back to the community and that she wanted to be the good people needed. She already serves and defends her country as a member of the United States Army, and now she continued to serve her community and people. I could say that she earned her position and title, it shows what kind and how wonderful person she is. A lot of people think that when you work at the jail, you only there to guard and to secure the inmates, but there are many different kinds of position not just as a correctional officer or administration. I learned from her that the Peoria County Jail was the eight largest jail in the state of Illinois. She explains the differences between county corrections and the state and federal corrections. Also, not all inmates who are in jail are serving time, many of the inmates are waiting for trial, some are being held for other agencies, and counties. Jail inmates can only be held in the facility no longer than 364 days, and when sentenced and proven guilty, they will serve in state or federal prison which sentence to 365 days to life. She encourages everyone who is close to the age of twenty-one to try to apply for a job at Peoria County Jail. She talks about the requirements for the job, and I thought before that to get a government job, one must have some degree. High school diploma or GED, be a resident of the Peoria County or approximately living in thirty-five miles out of Peoria County, be able to pass Physical Test, have to attend five-week training, pass the state exam, and to complete a six-week FTO program. As a student and working full time I know the stress, as she said the correctional officer could be stressful and busy, but no matter how stressful the job or position can get, always have respect for everyone and the inmates. It does not mean they are in jail, they are a bad person, some did make a bad decision, and you not supposed to treat them like nothing. She also mentions that the Peoria County Jail offers tuition reimbursement, which sounds so awesome. I learned that the jail has 492 beds with 328 cells, eight pods, segregation unit, intake, three holding cells, and over 60,000 sq.ft. They also have a medical unit with six-cell that when occupied, C.Os. have to check every fifteen minutes and to check and fill out a log sheet every time they do their check. Which I believe is very important part of the job. She mentioned that now it cost eighty dollars a day to house an inmate. Ms. Guyton did a very professional job sharing, explaining, teaching, and answering questions. I learned a lot in a short period about Peoria County Jail, different kind of job and opportunities, benefits, knowing her personally. I wish her the best of luck and success throughout the rest of her career. -Chopper123
ReplyDeleteI personally think that it's incredibly interesting that she comes here to just help teach us lectures in the classroom. I appreciate that she takes the time out of her busy schedule to come meet and instruct people that she may be hiring, working with and interviewing in the future and I am particular excited to be potentially working with her and / or Sherrif Asbell in the future because they have made it clear that they have in interest in watching our careers develop. They say that they want to hire from the local area and I can understand the sentiment and reasoning behind that but it surprises me when they say that they are more interested in recruiting ICC students over Western Illinois University students. They express these ideas seemingly whenever we meet them whether that's at the jail tour or in the class room and it really drives home the point that we are the group of people that they are interested in essentially grooming for a position in their facility. I think that was the main take away from her lecture anyhow, even if she did give a majority of the lesson over facts about the jail and jails across the country.
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