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Leadership and the Management of Agency Image

NCJ Number
172981
Journal
Federal Probation Volume: 61 Issue: 3 Dated: September 1997 Pages: 46-49
Author(s)
P M Wittenberg
Date Published
1997
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Because the field of corrections has an image problem, suggestions are offered for correctional managers to follow in dealing with inaccurate portrayals of correctional agencies and procedures.
Abstract
In recent years, society has taken an increased interest in corrections and the management of inmate populations, and individuals have acquired much of their information from media sources. To counter inaccurate portrayals, correctional agencies usually have public information specialists whose duties include responding to media inquiries, writing speeches, creating public interest videos, and gathering news stories of interest to agency leaders. These duties, however, are not sufficient for image management. An aggressive public relations campaign is needed by each correctional agency to interact with the media and to improve the image of corrections, especially during crisis situations. Guidelines to facilitate correctional agency image management and the role of leadership in image development are examined. 2 notes