Question

To what extent does an agency's reliance on its folklore to enhance its self-image impede planned change? Police agencies, for example, may see themselves as fighting a war on crime, or corrections administrators may see the primary role of their institutions as rehabilitation. Further, to what extent does the classic paramilitary structure of police and corrections organizations create a climate that is not conducive to change?

Answer 1

Relying on traditional systems and beliefs as time passes is generally not a conducive way to tackle the evolving times. As society evolves, so should the systems, policies and beliefs along with it. If the changes do not proceed hand in hand, what takes place is the crystallization of obsolete value systems that guide a starkly different world. Same can be said for many agencies, groups and organization. This makes for a perfect recipe for disaster.

The paramilitary structure of the police and the correctional faculties hosts an environment of punishment as opposed to rehabilitation or correction, as the name implies. The concept of negative reinforcement and punishment have long since been researched and have been pegged down as near ineffectual measure when especially dealing with delinquency.

Correctional facilities, are a form of punishment, but they are supposed to be correctional or rehabilitation in their approach as well - to integrate the members back into society. However, the paramilitary structure breeds a notions of harsh systems and policies that are responsible for breaking an individual down further and potentially exacerbating the risk of delinquent behavior or relapse in those domains.