密歇根新闻广播 听狱警谈论身心健康

A note of warning: there is some brief graphic¹ language in the interview. Listener discretion² is advised.

In the past two years, the Cotton Correctional Facility in Jackson has lost four correctional officers to suicide. Earlier this month, his family and co-workers honored Michael Perdue, a long-time CO at Cotton, who died by suicide this year.

Corrections officers across the state are hoping these tragic³ losses will bring attention to the pressures of working in prisons.

Cary Johnson has been a corrections officer at Cotton since 1995, and she is part of an effort by the Michigan Corrections Organization, the union representing corrections officers, to better understand the mental health issues that impact prison staff, including post-traumatic stress disorder⁴ (PTSD).

Johnson says that Michael Perdue's suicide had a ripple⁵ effect throughout the prison.

"When Michael took his life, there were prisoners crying because they needed him. They checked in with him every day when they went to get their medication. They were impacted by the loss of that life too," she recalled.

Life as a corrections officer means working in a high-pressure, and sometimes violent, environment. Johnson says that requires officers to wear many different hats.

It's a whole different world. It's a whole community. We are dealing⁶ with the day-to-day issues that men in prison deal with, and we're kind of the psychologist, the first assessors in a doctor's office. We're parents, we're managing the day to day issues" she explained.

Balancing all of those responsibilities can be incredibly stressful. Johnson says that, over time, that stress starts to impact officers’ mental health. Adding to the stress, she says, is the fact that some Michigan prisons are short-staffed, including Cotton Correctional Facility. Those facilities often require mandatory⁷ overtime⁸, which means officers can be on the job for 16 hours at a time, three to four days a week.

"You try to leave, and no, you're in prison too. You're staying, and you can make a phone call when you get relieved to do so," Johnson said.

Addressing the mental health stressors that correctional officers face, Johnson says, will require both cultural and structural⁹ changes. In the short-term, she says something as simple as creating daily group check-ins where supervisors¹⁰ and staff can connect every day would be helpful.

On the structural side, Johnson points to legislative¹¹ initiatives like a recent bill introduced by State Senator Jim Runestad (R-White Lake) that would establish a suicide prevention commission. That commission would include a representative from the Michigan Corrections Organization.

This post was written by Stateside production assistant Katie Raymond.

1 graphic   

adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的

参考例句：

• The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。
• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。

2 discretion   

n.谨慎；随意处理

参考例句：

• You must show discretion in choosing your friend.你择友时必须慎重。
• Please use your best discretion to handle the matter.请慎重处理此事。

3 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

4 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

5 ripple   

n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进

参考例句：

• The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。
• The small ripple split upon the beach.小小的涟漪卷来，碎在沙滩上。

6 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

7 mandatory   

adj.命令的；强制的；义务的；n.受托者

参考例句：

• It's mandatory to pay taxes.缴税是义务性的。
• There is no mandatory paid annual leave in the U.S.美国没有强制带薪年假。

8 overtime   

adj.超时的，加班的；adv.加班地

参考例句：

• They are working overtime to finish the work.为了完成任务他们正在加班加点地工作。
• He was paid for the overtime he worked.他领到了加班费。

9 structural   

adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的

参考例句：

• The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities.北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

10 supervisors   

n.监督者，管理者( supervisor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I think the best technical people make the best supervisors. 我认为最好的技术人员可以成为最好的管理人员。 来自辞典例句
• Even the foremen or first-level supervisors have a staffing responsibility. 甚至领班或第一线的监督人员也有任用的责任。 来自辞典例句

11 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。