WITNESS
Lance Corcoran is the Chief of Governmental Affairs for the California Correctional Peace Officers Association (CCPOA), a statewide organization representing 33,000 men and women who work "the toughest beat in the state," supervising state prison inmates and wards of the California Youth Authority. A Correctional Officer with the California Department of Corrections (CDC), Mr. Corcoran began his law enforcement career in 1986 at California Correctional Center (CCC). Mr. Corcoran was elected to the position of Rank & File - CDC Vice President in August of 1994. Prior to his election, Mr. Corcoran had served CCPOA as chapter president of the CCC chapter and was an influential member of CCPOA's State Board of Directors, helping make CCPOA one of the largest and most successful law enforcement associations in the state. In 2002, Mr. Corcoran was appointed to the position of Executive Vice President and served as such until September 2005 when he was hired by CCPOA to oversee the organization's legislative operation and create a communications division.
Mr. Corcoran is a past President of the California Employees Chapter of Corrections USA; a member of the Correctional Peace Officers Foundation, the Association of Black Correctional Workers, the Chicano Correctional Workers Association, and the California Crime Victims Coalition; and serves as an advisory board member of the Doris Tate Crime Victims Bureau.
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STATEMENT
Since corrections is often an afterthought as a profession within the criminal justice system, how can we attract and retain the best qualified personnel? What are the motivations and background of potential applicants? What life satisfaction can be gained from a career in corrections?
…I routinely attend the correctional academy in California and ask the following question: "How many of you have a relative working in corrections?" Nearly 60 percent of the cadets raise their hands. I believe in most cases our own people are our best recruiters. Experienced officers are able to explain what goes on inside correctional facilities and erase preconceived fears and concerns. I also ask this question, "On career day how many of you wrote down that your life long dream was to be a correctional officer?" Out of nearly 600 cadets in a class I may get two or three hands. I then ask, "How many are here because of the pay and the benefits?" Immediately every hand shoots up. There is a very strong message within this comparison. Money motivates. If we are to attract the best and the brightest, we must be competitive in salaries and benefits to other law enforcement agencies.…
In recruiting the best and the brightest we must also establish standards that are in line with outside agencies. Thorough background investigations, physical standards, drug testing, and psychological screening are a must. Our candidates and other agencies have to know that we are not "second class" law enforcement. We don't need the wanna-be's in our ranks. Too often this type of person is attracted to both law enforcement and corrections because they believe they will have power over other people. This is a dangerous character trait in a correctional officer. One that gets people hurt.
Excerpted from a written statement submitted to the Commission
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