Course Details

Course Title2018 SPCP - Session 8: An Invisible Shade of Blue: Cultural Considerations for the Evaluation of Correction Officers in Urban Jurisdictions
Date 10/1/2018
Provider2018 SPCP Annual Conference
Phone 
Email 
Website https://www.policepsychology.org/conference
LocationSarasota, FL
Credit Hours0.25
Instructor(s)Christopher A. Sbaratta, Ph.D.
Method of InstructionWorkshop/Seminar
Approving AgencyAPA
Course Syllabus

Course Description

This presentation centers on the public safety role of the Correction Officer (CO) as it intersects with issues of cultural identity and affiliation. Dr. Sbaratta will introduce this oft overlooked law-enforcement position by proposing contextual variables believed to place and maintain COs in an “invisible” status vis-Ã -vis public perception. In spite of some professional research on these officers, there remains little contemporary literature in this area. Experts in police psychology have begun to call for greater assessment for cultural bias and intolerance among law enforcement applicants. This presentation will (a) introduce factors which are believed to perpetuate psychological “invisibility” among COs, (b) attend to the contemporary climate of scandal and cultural tension surrounding the New York City Department of Correction (NYCD) and broader law-enforcement (c) discuss relevant background and psychological evaluation data utilized, and (d) address evaluation processes tailored to preserve multicultural competence and ethical practice while conducting psychological evaluations of culturally-diverse CO applicants and incumbents.

Course Objectives