The field of corrections is a natural place for the competitive news media market to look for stories about murder, rape, kidnapping, robbery, scandal, and corruption. Inmate recreational programs, in particular, are often misrepresented to the point where it may be impossible to convince the media and public officials of their importance as prison management tools. Basic misunderstanding about the importance of keeping inmates busy and interacting with them in a way that promotes safety and security within prisons indicates how far corrections professionals have to go in educating both law enforcement and the media. In addition, the failure of public officials and others to fully understand issues related to negative stereotypes about corrections confuses the public and demoralizes corrections staff who feel their contributions to public safety are minimized in the public view. The effect of the media, public officials, and other external forces on corrections staff perceptions is real but differs among employees and jurisdictions. Corrections departments must take specific steps to improve their image and must build partnerships and relationships with the local community, courts, and law enforcement. 1 photograph