In this episode of Tier Talk, Anthony Gangi and Russ Hamilton sit down with William Young to discuss the emotional damage that can impact a correctional officer’s mental health and well-being. They also discuss his upcoming book “When Home Becomes a Housing Unit”.
About William Young
William Young has worked as a correctional officer in the state of Nebraska since March 2005. He has worked throughout his facility in various areas ranging from Sanitation to Segregation and is currently assigned to Community Corrections as a Work Release Officer. Young has been an instructor for his facility since 2009, teaching courses such as Emergency Preparedness (LETRA), Stress Management, Motivational Interviewing, and “From Corrections Fatigue to Fulfillment” (CF2F). He is a member of the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) and is a certified Crisis Negotiator and the Assistant Coordinator of the Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT). Prior to working in corrections, William worked at a mortuary transport company where he was responsible for the removal and transport of human remains. In 2003, he, along with two others, started and managed a low-cost funeral home that is still in business today. Because of his extensive exposure to trauma and the aftermath, Young is determined to assist his fellow brothers and sisters by helping them identify, manage, and reverse the side effects and symptoms that surface when subjected to situations that are considered just “part of the job.” Battling corrections fatigue himself, Young understands and acknowledges the damage that working in a correctional environment can do to a person’s physical and mental health. He hopes his writing reassures his readers that they are not alone and that it is okay to not be okay.
“We need to talk to people about the things that haunt us. We need talk to a spouse or a friend or a co-worker or a counselor. The more we talk about our nightmares, the less power they’ll have over us.”
More of Young’s work can be read in the “Correctional Oasis”, a monthly Ezine produced and published by Desert Waters Correctional Outreach, and in his upcoming book “When Home Becomes a Housing Unit”.
Young would like to hear from you. If you have any questions, comments, or feedback that you would like to share, please contact him at Justcorrections@gmail.com or visit his Facebook page.
