The author, who is now an administrator with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, had an unspoken mentoring relationships with an experienced correctional officer when he first began his correctional career. Mentors normally focus on one of two responsibilities: the protege's job-specific growth or career enhancement and development. Informal relationships are the more natural mentoring process. However, a formal mentoring process can be successful if managed and structured correctly. Management must provide necessary resources for the program to succeed and must deal with organizational obstacles to a mentoring program. Mentors' responsibilities include providing information on the department or agency, helping teach technical responsibilities, providing feedback on performance, coaching, and serving as a confidential colleague. The mentor should have many traits, including sensitivity and understanding of the protege's needs and development, time to be available, honesty, and responsiveness. Traits the protege needs include commitment to the organization and willingness to learn. The organization must provide an environment in which the relationship between the mentor and protege includes mutual respect, trust, partnership and camaraderie, communication, and time. Detaching from the mentor can be accomplished by establishing formal goals, strategies, and objectives early in the relationship. Corrections agencies appear to be an ideal setting for programs involving multiple mentors. Corrections agencies can prepare their staff for greater responsibilities, use the skills and knowledge of experienced staff, and create a teambuilding enterprise through the formation and support of a well-run, properly supported mentoring program. Reference notes