Corrections Today: Emotional Intelligence Training in Corrections

How important is emotional intelligence training?

It is probably the most important training staff can get. Without it, corrections as we know it  is unsustainable. We are losing staff quicker than we can train and staff wellbeing may be at an all-time low. Emotional intelligence skills are what is missing, and they are not that difficult to teach, if done the right way. Emotional intelligence is all about building trust, safety and respect among staff. It is done by giving staff the right tools to connect with each other in a way that meets their psychological needs. Simply put, if you don’t meet these needs of your staff, they will not meet the needs of the organization and worse, they will quit and tell others that your agency is not a good place to work. This will make recruitment even more challenging. Increasing pay and benefits is not the answer; lowering staff stress is.